


Anything For You

by sarcastic_fi



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Adoption, Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Human, Divorce, F/F, F/M, Gen, Implied Mpreg, Kid Fic, M/M, Marriage, Miscarriage, Multi, Omega Stiles Stilinski, Omega Verse, Polyamory, Secrets, Single Parent Stiles, sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-29
Updated: 2017-09-19
Packaged: 2018-02-15 06:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 23,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2218812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcastic_fi/pseuds/sarcastic_fi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles Stilinski has been raising Ella for the past seven years; but she isn't his daughter. Circumstances bring Derek Hale and his wife Jennifer Blake back to town where they collide with Stiles. The truth cannot stay hidden long and Stiles will do anything to keep his daughter with him, even if she is technically Derek and Erica's baby.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Not with a whimper but with a bang

Stiles hated shopping of any kind, but anyone who knew him was well aware that grocery shopping was his arch nemesis. It might not have come to such extremes if he hadn't had a little helper with him; one who thought that grabbing the bottom water melon, from a pile as tall as Stiles himself was a good idea. She was wrong. So gloriously and epically wrong. Stiles ducked down to avoid the stares of the thirty something townspeople who had all known him and his dad for years. No, really, this wasn't embarrassing at all.

"Need some help?" A familiar voice asked and Stiles looked up to see the dimpled smile of Allison Argent as she elegantly knelt down to assist him in gathering smashed water melon from the cold grocery store floor.

"Would it make me a bad dad if I started crying with gratitude?" Stiles asked, only half joking.

"No," she laughed, "but imagine what the Beacon Hills gossip mill would make of it."

Stiles grimaced. As a single parent who had failed to bother to get into college or find himself a partner, the town already had plenty to say about the Sheriff's oddball son. No need to give them more ammunition. He turned around to see that most people had moved on, only two people remained staring at him. They looked like the typical Alpha-Omega couple, the woman had a possessive hand wrapped around the bulging biceps of her Alpha and the other on the handle of a shallow trolley. Looking closer Stiles could see that she was pulling on him, asking him quietly to stop staring and leave. Stiles couldn't have agreed more and he turned to glare at the Alpha, only to freeze in fear immediately.

"Stiles? Stiles, what is it? Stiles?"

Allison's hand on his arm startled him enough that he broke eye contact with the Alpha. "Sorry, I... uh... I didn't hear you."

Allison's brow was creased with concern and her grip became a gentle caress to reassure him. "I was asking where the culprit had scampered off to?"

"She's hiding under the apples."

"Stiles, who is that man?"

Stiles eyes immediately flickered to the Alpha who was now being dragged off by his pretty Omega. Finally there was no one left to gawk, and a store employee hurried over with a 'wet floor' sign and a mop. The teenager smiled at them and Stiles left the kid to clean up after his daughter.

"Well? Was it someone you knew?"

Stiles checked that Ella was safe and sound before answering Allison. "I don't know him, not really. He used to live in these parts; he's Mayor Hale's son."

"Are you sure you don't know him? The look he was giving you... it was pretty intense."

Stiles gave her a reassuring smile even as he tried to hide how shaken up he was. "I think I'd remember meeting Derek Hale. He was probably just wondering how anyone could be so clumsy as to destroy every melon in sight."

"Hmm, if you're sure. Just, be careful, okay?"

Stiles knew that Allison's concern came from a place of experience. When she had been in high school, before Stiles knew her, a beta called Matt had become fixated on her. It had ended badly, with Matt dead from a gun shot to the head and Allison traumatised. Afterwards she had taken up self defence classes which she now taught when she wasn't working at the local abused Omega protection centre which was where she met her now wife, lawyer Lydia Martin.

"Thanks," he said, meaning it.

They parted ways after that, with Allison heading off to pay for her modest basket of quality meats and exotic fruit while Stiles encouraged his daughter to show her face. Ella Stilinski was a bright young seven year old who had inherited her mother's golden locks, her biological father's expressive green eyes and Stiles's sense of humour and general klutziness.

"Proud of yourself are you, little lady?"

She cocked her head to one side and raised an eye brow. "You're not mad at me."

"Oh, really?"

"Ya huh. If you were mad then you'd full name me and say that you were going to leave me here because you couldn't afford to pay for the watermelons so I'd have to work it off."

Stiles fought down a smile. "Let's just see what the cashier says when we pay."

Stiles had barely started shopping but he had no desire to hang around the store. He grabbed the last few necessities and made a bee line for the check out. A manager was called when be asked how much he should pay for the damages and the Alpha who arrived took one look at Stiles; seeing his young age, the cheap worn clothes on his back and the value items he'd purchased, and then a look at Ella; who smiled charmingly as she hummed the theme tune to a popular kids TV show and jumped around in her brand new sneakers, and forfeit the payment of the damaged food. It was kind of condescending but also a gesture that Stiles genuinely appreciated. The fifty bucks it probably would have amounted to was much better spent on getting Ella a new rucksack for school and going towards household bills.

Finally he was able to load his groceries into the back of the beloved Jeep and get Ella away from the store and the penetrating eyes of Derek Hale. It was only once Ella was tucked up in bed that he truly started to freak out.

The first thing he did was to hyperventilate on the kitchen floor. That was generally a good way to start a major freak out. Afterwards he searched through all of his important and exceedingly boring paperwork to find Ella's birth certificate on which no donor parent was named. This comforted him but only until he compared her blood type to Erica's and realised that Ella had her father's blood. It was tenuous but any link was enough to give Stiles heart palpitations. There was only one person who he could share his panic with and she happened to be several hundreds of miles away so Stiles taped out a message to Erica on his cell phone hoping she was awake in whatever part of the world she was in right now.

~ Guess who I just ran into? Derek freaking Hale ~

~ Hello to you too Stiles. Boyd and I are fine, thanks for asking ~

~ Did I not properly convey my panic? Gosh, I'm sorry. Here, let me rephrase; DEREK FUCKING HALE IS IN TOWN!!!! ~

~ I can read Stiles, I'm just not sure why this is such a big deal to you ~

~ Ella is more than a big deal to me ~

~ Derek Hale is the most self obsessed individual I know. He'll never figure out that she's his biological daughter. Stop worrying. ~

It was easy enough for Erica to suggest that he stop worrying, but Stiles knew that as long as he lived he wouldn't spend a moment without worrying about Ella in some way or another. Had she eaten enough? Was she getting enough sleep? Did he let her spend too much time with adults? Did she need to get more exercise and fresh air? Was that rash a reaction to the cheap washing powder he brought or had she had contact with a poisonous plant? Was she too pale? Too loud? Did she think her mom didn't love her? Did she think Stiles wasn't enough? 

“Daddy,” Ella whined and Stiles spun around to see his daughter dressed in her 'Hello Kitty' nightdress, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Stiles gave her a smile and opened his arms for her to walk into and snuggle up into his warmth. She smelt of strawberry kids shampoo, clean linen with the same familiar Ella smell that seemed to be a combination of liquorish and rose petals. He breathed in deep and let the strange scents wash over him and settle him. There was nothing better than an Ella-hug.

“Couldn't sleep, pumpkin?”

“I heard something strange and I woke up. Can you tell me a story daddy?”

Stiles stood up, picking Ella up along for the ride and holding her as he walked to her bedroom, which was painted a 'happy' yellow with pink blankets on her child sized four-poster bed that he had gotten second hand and a pale blue rug that had been in the house when he had brought it. “What story would you like?” He swung her down onto the bed and tucked her in, sitting himself down on the edge nearest the door. 

“You know which one,” she insisted sleepily.

“Ah, of course. Once upon a time their was a brave princess called Erica...”

Stiles had been telling this story to Ella since she was born, adding more to the ending as life went on. The most recent update that Erica marrying Boyd to live happily every after. Maybe one day he would be able to give himself a happily ever after. He loved Ella unconditionally and nothing would ever change the fact that she was the best thing to happen to him, but that didn't mean he was oblivious to the hole in his life. One only an Alpha could fill.


	2. Burn Out

Stiles woke up the next morning to the sound of his daughter shouting his name and an uncomfortable damp chill on his leg. He yawned. As he opened his eyes he winced; it was lighter than it should have been which meant that he had slept through his alarm. He rolled over and collided with an empty glass which explained the wet; when he was really warm at night he would have a drink but it looked like he had fallen asleep half way through. Impatient as ever, Ella pulled his arm and Stiles groaned loudly as pain reverberated through his entire body.

“Daddy! You can’t sleep now, I have to go to school.”

Ella loved school, and today was the first day od second grade. Stiles swore out loud and crashed out of the bed. Everything hurt but he didn’t have time to pander to his own pain. He rushed around his room searching for a pair of clean-ish jeans and a semi acceptable t-shirt (no slogons, logos or crass jokes). Eventually he uncovered a plain grey t-shirt that used to belong to Scott before he had outgrown it and a green flannel shirt. He looked, at the very least, semi-respectable, even if he felt like he’d been run over by an eighteen wheeler. At least Ella looked like she was ready for the day, with her thick blonde hair brushed into a cute ponytail and a carefully selected outfit that Lydia had put together for her. 

In the end they arrived fifteen minutes late. Ella was almost in tears, upset not only that she had missed the meet and greet in the playground but embarrassed that she would be making a spectacle of herself by arriving after everyone else. Her intense emotions were sending Stiles into an overprotective frenzy. It was hard to control his instincts, but the medicine he took to hide his gender helped. Being an Omega meant he naturally made a great parent, it also meant no one thought you were capable of being a single parent. If everyone knew then taking care of Ella would become a battle, and she would potentially be taken away from him. His relationship with Ella was more important than being true to his biology. 

“Mr Stilinski, are you okay?”

Stiles blinked away the moisture in his eyes as Ella bolted in the direction of her classmates as they settled down for morning classes. He plastered a polite smile onto his face and turned around to face Derek Hale’s freaking wife.

“Mr Stilinski, do you need to sit down? I can call the nurse if you want?”

Stiles’ heart slowed to a normal pace as he realised that she was without her Alpha, and that she wasn’t there to steal Ella away. In fact, it looked very much like she was Ella’s new teacher. Mrs Hale was dressed in a modest pale blue shirt, a flattering black pencil skirt and inexpensive well cared for pumps. There was a pleasant concerned expression on her face and her arm was reaching out to balance him. He flinched away instinctively.

“I’m fine, sorry. Uh, sorry about being late. Missed the alarm, won’t happen again! Or at least, I don’t meant for it to happen again. Not that I meant for it to happen today… I just. Accident. Sorry,” Stiles winced. Not only had he dropped his daughter off late to her first day of second grade but he had also made a fool of himself in front of her teacher. Way to look completely incompetent.

“Are you sure you're okay?” She asked again, and the kind expression on her pretty face was killing him. He didn't want to stand so close to someone who posed a threat to his relationship with his daughter, even if she didn't know she did. It made it all the worse that she seemed like a genuinely nice person. She would probably make some child a wonderful mother. Just not his child.

“Yes,” he breathed out, calming himself down with methods taught to him during his panic attacks after his mom had died. “I'm fine. Just humiliated that I was responsible for making my daughter late for her first class. It won't happen again, Miss...?”

“Mrs Hale.”

“Mrs Hale,” Stiles repeated, and shook her hand like a civilised adult would.

The smile on Mrs Hale's face flickered when she made contact with his skin but it quickly slid back into place with professional ease. “You're warm, Mr Stilinski. The flu?”

“I, uh, yeah, I didn't feel too good when I woke up. Guess it must be the flu, I heard that it was going around. Just hope I don't give it to Ella. Anyway, I'd better be going. It was nice to meet you, Mrs Hale.”

Stiles turned around and fled, pausing only long enough to kiss Ella's head much to her embarrassment before he was once again in the safety of his Jeep. It really wasn't that bad, he tried to convince himself. It wasn't like she had any idea who Stiles was, or, more correctly, who Erica was. Stiles knew who she was from the stories. Derek Hale, son of the town Mayor Talia Hale, had gone to university in New York on a basketball scholarship and met the girl of his dreams; Jennifer Blake, English major. They were the inspirational story that parents told their Alpha children about; the One was out there, you just had to be patient and keep it in your pants long enough to meet them. Not that Derek had kept it in his pants; which led them to the current situation.

Stiles sat in his car in the parking lot of the elementary school and breathed in deep breath trying to convince himself that this was relaxing, that everything was going to be okay. His knee jiggled up and now at an alarming rate as if it was trying to keep up with his racing heart beat. He wanted a cigarette. He didn't smoke; never had. Still, it would be something to distract himself from the 'current situation'. Derek and Erica had been the ones to land them all in this mess but it would be his heart that broke if anyone official ever discovered the that Ella had a competent Alpha parent with a wife and a steady well paid job who was surely just waiting to start a family. He couldn't lose her. Ever since he held her in his arms as a skinny defenceless fifteen year old kid he had fallen in love. There was so much pressure on him to prove that he was capable of taking care of her. For birth parents people just let them raise kids however they wanted, negating obvious abuse or neglect, but since Stiles was only an adoptive parent he had a case worker assigned to him (Isaac Lahey) and everyone was always on his case. At first it has been his dad, disapproving of his willingness to take on what his dad saw as Erica's problem, then Scott's incredulity that Stiles could be stupid enough to give up a free ride to college when Scott was struggling with saving enough money to pay tuition all for the sake of 'someone else's baby'. After Scott, there was Isaac who was young for a case worker but hardened in a way that only came from growing up with abuse. He watched Stiles like a hawk and it automatically made Stiles feel guilty. Laura was a good paediatrician; very professional and considerate, but every time he took Ella to see her, even for something as simple as a cold, she'd ask all the prevalent questions but coming from Ella's biological aunt it made Stiles think that she was doubting his ability to take care of Ella. He knew she was just being thorough, and maybe she was a bit more on the ball when it came to Ella but then the times she saw her as her doctor were the only time she ever got to spend with Ella so he guessed he couldn't begrudge her that. Still, he felt like he had all parties concerned watching him for any mistakes he made just waiting to call him on it. It was exhausting.

If anyone found out he was an Omega pretending to be a Beta... well, that would be the biggest mistake he could make in their book.


	3. Picture this; You and Me and All Our Memories

“Dude,” Scott hissed out the word like it was an expletive, “you looked gone. How can you be this far gone without even realising it?”

Stiles pushed his way past Scott and into his best friend's apartment. Scott and he had been friends since they could talk and had gone through everything together; including puberty, so naturally he was one of the few people who knew Stiles' true gender. “The pills, side effect is unpredictable heats.”

“Are you sure they are working correctly because that sounds like a dumb side effect for pills that are supposed to hide the fact you are an Omega.”

“Yes, Scott, I'm sure. All side effects are dumb.” Other side effects included inhibited sense of scent so he was unable to distinguish between Alpha, Betas and Omegas without using social clues, nausea, mild panic attacks and low iron: those were just the side effects that he was prone to, the leaflet went on for a good twenty centimetres before it finished the 'extremely rare' section. Stiles got the medication from Melissa McCall who only gave it to him because otherwise he'd obtain the pills illegally and that hadn't worked out so well in the past; and by so well he meant being admitted to the hospital haemorrhaging blood from his anus and projectile vomiting for six hours prior. It showed up on his prescription as an experimental new medication for his ADHD even though he hadn't been on Adderal in over six years.

“Do you need anything?” Scott hovered as Stiles slumped down onto the couch.

“A distractions?” Stiles suggested warily.

Scott smiled. “I can do that,” he said as he started up the PS3 and loaded up Call of Duty to where they had been last. Stiles smiled. Scott was definitely his bestest bro ever.  
There were misconceptions about the heat that an Omega suffered from. First that the Omega would secrete a hormone that would attract an Alpha and that the Alpha, having come into contact with the Omega, would be unable to stop themselves from ravaging said Omega. Scientists and historians suggest that in caveman times this might have been true but there was nothing in their biology or chemistry to suggest that this was the case. An Alpha who had sex with an Omega against their will during their heat was guilty of rape same as any other time of the year. The second misconception that was fairly prevalent in society (and a huge trope in porn) was that Omegas were insatiably horny during their heat to the exclusion of everything else. This was utter bullshit and had not a single shred of truth to it. Omegas were the primary caregivers in a traditional relationship and if they were incapacitated for a week up to three times a year by their heat then they would be unable to fulfil the role of caregiver. 

What did happen during a heat was that their literal body temperature rose slightly which gave it it's name. An Omega was only capable of conceiving during a heat and only capable of having a heat when they were not pregnant and between the stages of puberty and menopause (much like a female beta's periods). Stiles typically lost his appetite during his heat although he wasn't sure if that was because of the pills he took or maybe just a him thing, and tried his best to keep hydrated as he cycled in an out of low grade horniness and moodiness. The pills suppressed most of his heats but he usually had about one a year which was his body trying to keep itself healthy and working. He could handle it. Scott was always there to help, not in a sex way because there was zero chance he was risking getting pregnant and plus ew; Scott was his brother from another mother and in no way fuck buddy potential. He heard that everyone went through heat slightly differently but the main features remained the same' raised body temperature, change in scent to indicate fertility, slightly higher levels than usual horniness and mild body aches in the abdomen as the body works extra hard.

It was hours before they even moved from the sofa but reality called and Scott had to start his shift at the Veterinary Clinic. “Are you okay to pick Ella up at three thirty?” Scott asked as he finished packing his dinner; which in Scott world amounted to grabbing a box of left over take out from yesterday, a bottle of Gatorade and some Cheese-its. 

“Um, yeah. I'll get a nap then head over. Hope nothing bites you!” He waved Scott off before climbing in his sensible dad car – he really missed his Jeep – and drove back to his house. Once he arrived his sleepiness had worn off and he felt restless. He put a load of washing on, hovered the den and the family room, then found himself browsing through photographs of Ella. 

He had seven albums; one for each year of her life, plus a large canvas of last Christmas hanging up in the family room, two multi-picture displays (one in the hallway and one in the dining area which connected to the kitchen), and four shoe boxes of extras. He made himself comfortable on his large lonely bed and spread them out in front of him.

The earliest photo was one Melissa had taken in the hospital after Erica had given birth. Erica had fallen asleep but no one had the heart to remove Ella from her mother's arms and she was nestled up against Erica, pink and squishy. Erica looked peaceful in this shot but Stiles didn't remember it that way. She'd been unsure about keeping the baby ever since she realised she was truly on her own, but her own mother had forbidden her to give the baby away for adoption insisting that if Erica didn't want the child then she could look after her. Erica couldn't imagine a more cruel fate than to abandon her child to her strict mother who's OCD ruled her life and marred Erica's. For the next year there weren't many pictures, the few that existed had been taken by Stiles himself which was why he had been able to make a baby's first album in the first place. He had intended it as a gift but when he had tried giving it to Erica she had broken down crying, admitting that she couldn't be a mom. Everything changed after that. Stiles, who had just turned sixteen, suddenly found himself compelled to get involved with every aspect of Ella's life. He would babysit in Erica's shitty one room apartment while she worked the night shift at a twenty-four/seven café at the edge of town, he brought baby clothes with his own money and took Ella to the zoo on the weekends. At first he was just trying to help, but there was a gradual shift and after a few months of this it was more like Erica was babysitting Ella while Stiles was at school. The next two years went on like this and eventually Stiles finished high school with reasonable grades. His dad had been bugging him about choosing a college and eventually Stiles had to admit that he wasn't going to go to college. He was going to raise Ella. 

Erica was around some after that, she hadn't finished school so Stiles convinced her to stay in town long enough to get a GED. Stiles found a photograph of Ella's fourth birthday party with Erica standing in the frame with himself and Ella. Erica had also been there for Ella's fifth birthday but in the year between she had started to wander away from home more and more. She met Boyd between Thanksgiving 2012 and Ella's sixth birthday and they had married this past summer. Erica was missing from Ella's seventh birthday picture but by that point Erica was less her mom and more a visiting aunt. 

Ella insisted she was okay with this, but Stiles wondered how could she be? Stiles wasn't her dad; not by birth although Ella demanded she be allowed to call him so and since he had accepted her in his heart as his daughter long ago he was more than fine with that. Still, she had a real mom and a real dad out there and Stiles knew that Derek Hale had no idea that he had a daughter. Erica was safe as an absentee parent, she had long ago abdicated parental responsibility and was more than happy with the way things had turned out. “It's for the best,” she would always say. “You're a better adoptive father than I am a birth mother and it has nothing to do with gender and everything to do with love,” was another favourite of hers. Stiles feared the day that Derek found out that Ella was his because if he wanted her there was nothing legally stopping him from taking her, and by taking her Stiles meant taking her away from him. That was something he didn't know how to deal with.


	4. In Law

Jennifer finishes her first day at Beacon Hills Elementary and head not home, where she could relax, but to her parents-in-laws' house. For the first five years old their marriage they had lived in New York and enjoyed the space it gave them as a young couple, however two months ago they had gotten 'the call'. Cora had been the one to tell them, her voice cold and detached even with Laura crying in the background: Papa Hale had cancer, the kind that killed you in one-year or less. Suddenly Derek wanted to go back 'home' – even though he'd spent the past few years calling their city apartment home – and 'be there' for his mother and sisters – where had they been when she'd had three miscarriages? She'd been supportive to begin with, genuinely wanting to help him through this rough time anyway she could, she was after all his wife for better or worse. Then he'd talked about arranging things with the office, asking her if she'd handed in her resignation and leaving pamphlets around the house advertising homes in Beacon Hills. Finally one day he came home from a run, popped in to have a shower and grab his briefcase for work, kissed her cheek and said not to worry about finding time to house hunt because Laura had spotted the old Morgan house for sale, Mrs Morgan was downsizing now all the kids had flown the nest, and put a bid in for them. Wasn't that great? He didn't exactly give her a chance to say no, no it wasn't great that he had moved them from New York to Beacon Hills without even asking and now they had a house to live in that she had never even seen. She wasn't sure if he was just being a typical Alpha about things, assuming that his obedient Beta wife will be happy with whatever decision he made, or if it was a reaction to his dad's impending death. Due to the latter she hardly felt able to ask. She didn't want to make things harder for him, after all he was her husband and it was her job to make his life as good as possible.

Still, she sighed, this wasn't the life she would have picked out for herself. 

The Hale family home was a beautiful old house at the edge of the Beacon Hills Preserve with six bedrooms and the best view in town. Talia Hale ran the house like clockwork. She was the epitome of Alpha; control freak with high expectations and no room for discussion. Her word was law, and in Beacon Hills she was the Mayor so the term came close to being literal. Jennifer actually felt closer to Christian Hale despite not really knowing him all that well. She'd miss his calming presence and acerbic sense of humour. Despite that she still wasn't looking forwards to tonight. 

She let herself in through the side door that all the family used. Knocking was for strangers, she'd been told, but it still felt rude just to walk in without announcing herself. She passed through the cloakroom, hanging her coat up on a spare peg, and slipped into the hallway just outside the kitchen. Cora and Laura, Derek's younger and older sister respectively, were by the stove and something about their body language made Jennifer hang back a second.

“- to talk about, Cora!” Laura snapped at her sister.

“I just don't see how we can keep it a secret. It's fucking huge and he has a right to know,” Cora bit back. They resembled each other closely, both pale with liquid chocolate eyes and smooth waves of dark locks, but their personalities were polar opposites. Laura was dramatically expressive; she cried, yelled and laughed loudly but if there was something she didn't like she closed right up and nothing could make her talk about it. Cora, on the other hand, was frank and honest to the point of insult. Very little made her laugh but the few times Jennifer had seen her give over to it she would contain the sound within her, letting nothing more than a chuckle escape, but her entire face scrunched up and joy bled from every feature. It was a dramatic and beautiful transformation and one only Derek seemed capable of bringing about.

Laura avoided eye contact with her sibling by stirring one of the pots simmering away on the stove. “That isn't your decision to make. The fact is he doesn't know and now is not the time to tell him. Dad's... We need to concentrate on the time we have together as a family and not worry over something like this. What Derek doesn't know can't hurt him, right?”

Cora rolled her eyes. “Dad's dying Laura, saying the words doesn't make it any more true than it already is. And I'm talking about family: Derek's. Besides, don't you think dad would want to meet his grandchild before he dies?”

“I think he already has. He said something about seeing her in the park one day. Said she looked like you but with blond hair.”

“That's not the same thing as meeting her. I've seen her, mom's seen her, hell she's one of your patients so we know you've seen her... doesn't it leave you cold when she calls you Doctor Hale? She should be calling you Auntie Laura.”

Jennifer's chest hurt. A child, Derek had a child that she didn't know about... that he didn't know about. Her immediate thought was how old was the child, did he cheat on her or was the child from before they were married? God she hoped the girl was older. She didn't know what she would do if she found out he had cheated on her and hid it from her. It was one thing for a married Alpha to court another spouse, it was entirely another for him to sleep with someone and hide it from his wife like it was some dirty affair. 

“Jennifer! You've finally arrived,” Talia said. Her tone was warm enough but the words stung and she turned away from the kitchen in the hopes that her sister-in-laws didn't realise she'd been eavesdropping. 

“Yes, just!” She said loudly. “Traffic was a nightmare. You look good, Talia.”

Talia kissed her cheek before taking her face in her manicured hands and looking deep into her eyes. “You look like you need a hot meal and a baby inside of you.”

Jennifer flinched away. That was why she hated seeing Derek's family.

Speak of the devil: Derek appeared from behind his mother and chided her for her thoughtless comment. Jennifer pressed a kiss to his mouth and sidled away to the family room where Christian was sat. She joined him and smiled with genuine warmth for the first time since arriving at the Hale house.

“And how are you feeling, Christian?” She asked, taking his cold hand between hers.

“Hungry. I was promised a pre dinner snack forty minutes ago but my wife, she's been prevaricating! In and out of the kitchen she goes but every time she comes back empty handed. I ask her 'where is my snack' and she looks at me like I've already gone insane and asks, of all things, if I am sure I want one! When the answer is an affirmation she simply wonders off and we repeat the whole conversation the next time I see her! It's a conspiracy, I tell you!” 

Jennifer laughed. “Well, we wouldn't want you to waste away. Here, have a cookie.”

He took the Oreo gratefully. “You're the hero of this piece, Jenny!” He winked before stuffing the small cookie in his mouth. 

Talia appeared minutes later, drinks in hand but not a snack to be seen. “Pre dinner drinks, anyone?”

Jennifer and Christian started giggling.

Later, when Jennifer was driving them back to the new house, she cautiously broached the subject of when Derek had last been in Beacon Hills. The idea of him cheating on her had played on her mind all though dinner and she knew she wouldn't be able to sleep without more information. 

“It was nice, spending time with your family tonight.”

“Really, you seemed a bit tense?”

“You know I adore your father. I was just tired after my first day at a new school.”

“How was it?” He asked, changing the subject.

“Oh, you know, just like any other I guess. It'll take me a few weeks to figure out the layout and get to know the other teachers but everyone seemed perfectly polite. My class is great, twenty kids and they're all a lot more well behaved than the kids I taught back in New York.”

“That's because they know you'll see their parents in town and tell them what little toe-rags they've been if they act out,” Derek said with a fond smile. She guessed that was what it was like growing up in a small town. Life had been even more different for her; everyone in the community had attended the same school and your teachers were your parents and neighbours. More than just everyone knew each other, it was more that there was no one else to know.

“Small town life, huh. You must have missed it.”

He shrugged, his eyes straying to the road ahead. “I guess. I missed my family more. Now I get you, my family and Beacon Hills all in one.”

“Right, but I mean... how long was it since you were home? Your folks made the trip up to see us the last few times.”

He frowned. “We last came here before we got engaged. Remember, it was during summer and you wanted to meet my parents?”

“Yeah, we were still in college then. But, you've been back since?”

“On my own? Maybe once or twice. Not since we graduated though.”

Over six years. That was before they were married but not necessarily before they were engaged. Still, it made it a little easier to deal with. “We have been busy, though, haven't we?”

He laced his fingers through hers and they turned the conversation to the last holiday they had shared. Jennifer didn't mention anything about the conversation she had overheard between his sisters, she needed more information first. Now she had a hair colour and a time frame. Soon, she would have enough to make a decision about and then, only then, would she reveal what she knew.


	5. Hours of the Day

For Stiles his life began and ended with Ella; however, life wasn’t of the same opinion. After dropping her off at school on the Tuesday he was back to work at the small independent coffee shop that he had been working at for the past three years. Satomi, the owner, was very understanding about his commitment to Ella and he was awarded a lot of leeway when it came to holiday and hours and in return he worked his ass off to ensure that she never questioned the trust she put in him. The ultimate reward had come two seven months ago when she had promoted him to day shift manager with a £6 dollar raise and his own team of staff; Malia, Liam, Mason, and Caitlyn. He wasn’t all that close with them but he liked to make sure they were happy in their jobs even if it was just a part time gig for some of them, and he tried his best to ensure that they played to their strengths. Liam, for instance, was great at almost everything except customer services whereas his best friend Mason was the nicest kid you could ever hope to live and was adept at calming down irate customers. All in all it wasn’t a bad job and it did, after all, pay (most) of the bills.

Stiles started his shift and was soon rushing around. He spun away from the small kitchen where fresh cakes were made by Kira on a daily basis, and bumped into Malia. 

“I’m sick,” she said, and coughed into her fist precisely once.

“Why didn’t you write it down in the holiday book?”

“My illness?” Malia said innocently

Stiles didn’t buy it for a minute. “Malia, why do you need the morning off? Just tell me and I’ll see what I can do.”

Her façade broke and she turned scared puppy dog eyes on him. “Not the whole shift, just twenty minutes to go to the doctors.”

“Are you okay?” He asked, immediately concerned. 

“Yes. Maybe. It depends. I mean, people like babies, right? You like babies; I mean you have a baby, child, a child. I’m just not sure I like babies. Or that Kira does. Or Liam.”

“Ah,” he said delicately. “Is this a confirmation appointment?”

She nodded, looking miserable. 

“If you need to talk, I’m here.”

“Does that mean you don’t mind if I take off to the doctor’s for twenty minutes?”

“I’ll cover you,” he said and she threw herself in his arms. He was startled; she wasn’t normally this demonstrative and had never hugged him before. It was awkward and she quickly released him, red faced, and hurried off to grab her coat. 

Stiles grabbed an apron and headed over to the counter. Malia suffered with dyscalculia so when it got busy she served the cakes or sandwiches and took orders but on quiet periods he encouraged her to handle money. They were a close knit bunch, not just the staff but the customers as well, and everyone was very patient with her or helped her out. Stiles would normally be in the stock room right now but instead he would be getting some face time with the clientele. It would be a nice change of pace.

And it was, for a few hours at least. Then Mrs McCaughey ordered her traditional latte and spent the next ten minutes asking if he was sure it was a latte and not a cappuccino. He wasn’t sure if he should be amused at the sheer ridiculousness of the situation or to cry because he just wanted her to go away and leave him alone. There was a queue (a queue at two fifteen on a week day!) and Stiles was quickly losing the will to argue with her. He was about three more minutes away from agreeing that he had made her a cappuccino and not a latte when she finally gave in and found a seat by the entrance to the loos. He was so relieved that he didn’t even look to see who was next, just smiled brightly and said how sorry he was for the delay.

“It’s fine,” Derek Hale said.

Stiles’ relief fled. His stomach started to eat itself with nerves. He hadn’t seen Derek up close since he was about nine and Stiles had accidentally bumped into him at the mall. Derek had definitely grow up a lot since then. And filled out. And basically become a walking wet dream. 

“I..um.. how can I help?”

Stiles stumbled through the order, almost burning himself in the process of making the tall black coffee that Derek ordered all while the Alpha watched with a strange glint in his eyes. Unfortunately for Stiles, Derek wanted to 'eat' in and that meant spending time in the same room as him which wasn't exactly on Stiles' bucket list. He continued to serve and promised himself he wouldn't look in Derek's direction – ever. 

The next fifteen minutes were busy enough that he was able to keep that promise and finally, when the queue was gone, Liam arrived. Stiles rolled his eyes at the timing but he could hardly blame the kid for turning up at the same time that he finished his busiest hour especially since it was Stiles own job to rota in staff members during the day shift.

Stiles retreated to the back of the staff area and started working on the latest pile of paperwork that Satomi had left for him. Kira interrupted him less than twenty minutes later with a gentle knock on the door.

“Hey boss,” she teased, smiling at him.

“Hey, Chef,” he teased her back. Technically Stiles was a manager and therefore in charge of all staff members while it was his shift, but it was a general agreed upon rule that Kira was exempt from the chain of command. It had nothing to do with the fact she was an Alpha, something that Satomi had taken efforts to point out to all the managers including the morning shift supervisor Greenberg and the evening shift supervisor Brent. It was only because Kira was the only pastry chef they had and she excelled at her job without direction. She didn't need a boss and it was easier for everyone if she worked on her own terms.

“What brings you back into the batcave?” He asked, referring to his own dreary office where he insisted all the 'magic' happened.

“A customer. He's asked to see the manager?”

“Oh?” Stiles kept his voice light. “Did he say why?”

“No, but I don't think it was a complaint and if it is I'm sure you'll be more than happy to listen to it as long as you can stare at his perfect face.”

“That good?”

“Hmmm, if Scott is a croissant then this guy is a pain au chocolat. If he wasn't an Alpha and if I weren't already committed to Liam and Malia then I would be out there trying to help him myself.”

Stiles knew she was joking and laughed along with her. Kira was the shiest person he knew and the added benefit her job held for her meant that she could hide away in the kitchen and not have to deal with the customers. “I'll be right out,” he promised, packing away the confidential papers and attempting to tidy his desk.

“Okay,” she said amiably before turning to leave, “Wait, have you seen Malia? Liam's on front counter alone and I can't see her on tables.”

“Yeah... I... uh... she didn't tell you? Um... she had an errand... to run... so she's doing that,” Stiles really sucked at lying. He needed to look into that because with Derek around the need to lie may just become a survival technique.

Kira gave him and odd look but she didn't question him. She returned to the kitchen and Stiles manned up and marched out to the front counter where Liam was dishing up a slice of carrot cake and a mug of hot chocolate to a customer. Liam gestured without any subtly to Derek although Stiles really didn't need anyone to tell him who had asked to see him. He had known who it was as soon as Kira mentioned how hot he was. This was Beacon Hills, not New York, and while there were plenty of attractive people around seeing them everyday had a way of numbing you to their beauty and they soon became just another towns-person. Derek was new, at least as far as Kira was concerned, and shiny. 

“Hello, I'm Stiles the manager here, can I help?” He asked, trying to sound professional and detached even while his heart was jackhammering inside his chest. 

“I was hoping you would be able to mention to Satomi that I dropped by? The kid behind the counter didn't seem to know who I meant when I asked how she was.”

Stiles really couldn't catch a break lately. Derek Hale, his not-even-officially-adopted-daughter's biological father was friends with his boss? Erica had acted like he had been out of line to panic at the arrival of Derek in town but how can he keep the truth from Derek if he infiltrated every aspect of his life? His wife was Ella's teacher, he knew Stiles' boss and his entire family knew that Ella was Derek's. Surely his time as Ella's father was limited.

“Yeah, I think Liam only knows her as that old scary Japanese lady who signs his pay cheque,” Stiles muttered, his thoughts distracting him to honesty.

Derek Hale laughed. “She sounds like she hasn't changed a bit.”

“I'll tell her you stopped by,” Stiles assured him.

“Shouldn't you ask my name first?”

“You're Talia Hale's son, right? Derek. You're older than me, sure, but I went to school with Cora so I remember you a bit.”

“You were not among Cora's friends. You I would remember,” Derek said, his gaze suddenly appraising and thorough. It made Stiles feel hot on the inside of his skin and he wished he's just pretended to be ignorant and invisible. 

“I.. uh... no. I was a year below. Look, I should get back to the office. I'll make sure Satomi knows you stopped by. I hope you enjoyed our service,” he said, and winced at the phrasing.

“Oh, I did,” Derek assured him.

Stiles decided the safest thing to do was run away like a strategically retreating soldier and hide under his desk. He didn't look behind once to check if Derek was watching but somehow he knew he would be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if any one is wondering... Kira is the Alpha, Liam is the Beta and Malia is the Omega of their relationship. They aren't married but they are committed to each other. It's a side plot but i just wanted to clarify :D


	6. The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb

Three weeks later Stiles was willing to admit that he may have been overreacting to Derek's arrival in town. None of the Hales had approached him, although he caught Cora giving him the stink eye more than once, and even Satomi appeared incline to keep his secret. After her meeting with Derek, during which she broke out the super secret special tea that she reserve for close family and the off chance that the Queen of England visited. Stiles didn't remember much of that day, only that Kira and Mason kept asking him if he was okay and offering him sweat tea; which he hated but it was good for shock, or so they say. Eventually Derek emerged looking relaxed and the least like a predator that Stiles had ever seen him. He smiled at Stiles on the way out and thanked Malia, who was at the till, before leaving the café. Satomi had been smiling serenely which had pissed Stiles off enough to confront her. Embarrassing, really, as she had waited until he was finished ranting and raving to assure him that she had not betrayed his secret and had no intention of revealing to Derek that Ellie was his daughter without Erica and his own permission. She loved Derek like he was a son, but it was decisions he had made that had led to this situation and he would have to make the choice to realise who Ellie was, it was not her place to interfere. Stiles was just grateful that he didn't have to lose his daughter.

While things had certainly relaxed when it came to the threat to Ellie's guardianship, Derek had still managed to find a way under Stiles' skin. He was at the café every weekday, to the point where Stiles had even been motivated to ask what the man did as a living. It was almost disappointing that none of Stiles' daydreams were even close (fireman, secret agent, underwear model...) no, instead it turns out he was a paper-pusher, who, at the moment, was working from home, aka Stiles' coffee shop, since he was still contracted to work for his New York firm. Stiles guessed that meant Derek would be returning to his old job eventually and leaving town. In the mean time he had become somewhat of a stalker, or so his team of reliable but gosspiy teenage employees assured him. 

“He's looking at you,” Mason sing-sang under his breath. 

Stiles glanced up through his lashes. “He's thinking about cake.”

“He's sweet for you.”

Stiles rolled his eyes and continued to clean the cake cabinet and check the quality of the cakes in there to ensure none of them had dried out. “How long have you been waiting for the chance to say that?”

“Oh, about three weeks; because it's true!”

“He's married.”

“And?”

“And you are starting to sound like Lydia.”

“She agrees with me?” Mason and Lydia were close friends. His mom worked with Lydia as a legal adviser for the organization who ran the Omega shelter where Lydia did her pro-bono work at. 

“She has no morals,” Stiles complained.

“He's an Alpha, they can have more than one spouse. You just have to figure out of she's a Beta or an Omega.” The way the world worked was that there were three genders and in traditional times it was more cost effective for an Alpha to have a spouse of each gender, a Beta to bring in more funds to the family and an Omega to birth and raise children. However, it wasn't 1800s any more, two world wars had changed society and it was far more common for an Alpha to marry only one spouse, or even a Beta to marry a Beta, something unthought of merely twenty years ago. Kira, Liam and Malia were all young and unmarried but still it was unusual to see a trio group together. Kira lived alone and Liam shared an apartment with Mason, while Malia still lived with her dad, but Stiles could see them coming together in an old fashioned way. Especially now there was a baby on the way, not that anyone except Stiles, Malia and a doctor knew this at the moment. It was great, for them, that they had that kind of selfless communal love that would abide. Stiles just wasn't sure that kind of life was for him. He didn't exactly have stacks of experience and had never been with an Alpha or shared his heat with anyone but he imagined that one day he would, but he couldn't imagine sharing that special bond with a third.

“It doesn't matter. He's not interested in me and even if he was I have Ella to think of.”

“Right,” Mason rolled his eyes. “You know, one day you are going to have to stop using her as an excuse and actually go out and live your life.”

Stiles didn't reply. Mason, for all that he was just a kid, was surprisingly wise. It did't, however, mean Stiles was going to listen to a word he said. He loved Ella and now is not the time to be distracting himself with romantic entanglements. Even if Derek Hale wasn't in town, there would still be the issue that he's been covering up his true gender for the past forever and lying to everyone. The minute he started dating it would be obvious, and then Isaac, Ella's social worker, would find out and insist on going to the Court and declaring him an unfit parent. It wasn't right to jeopardise Ella's stability for his own personal satisfaction,

Less than an hour later an emergency reared it's ugly head reminding Stiles yet again of where his priorities lay.

“Hey boss, the school is on the phone?” Malia handed him the cordless handset and Stiles grabbed it away from her, his face paling. 

“Hello? Who is this? Is something wrong with Ella? Why are you calling?”

“Mr Stilinski,” Mrs Hale's voice interrupted his panic.

“I don't mean to worry you,” she continues, but hearing Derek Hale's wife say those words to him they somehow end up meaning the opposite.

“Is Ella okay?”

“She's fine. I'm calling because there was an incident. A woman started talking to Ella in the playground and when a teacher's aide asked her to leave she said she was picking Ella up today and would be taking her home. I'm not sure if there is some arrangement you had with Ella's old teacher but I can only follow the rules, and as a teacher entrusted to care for your daughter between the hours of 9am and 3pm I'm not allowed to release her into the custody of anyone else except yourself and your father, both of you are on Ella's file.”

“Was this woman blonde, in her early twenties and very attractive?” 

“Uh... yes, that description fits.”

“You did the right thing, Mrs Hale. I'll be right there.”

Stiles drove like a mad man to the school, turning down everyone's offer to help. He arrived twenty minutes later to find Mrs Hale, Ella, the principal and Erica all stood in the foyer waiting for him. He immediately started apologising and, after what felt like the longest ten minutes of his life, left with Ella and Erica.

In the car on the way back to Stiles and Ella's home Erica narrated her latest adventure, which had been a work trip for Boyd to Venezuela, complete with funny voices and the occasional tickle. Ella was laughing, beaming a smile at her mother and soaking up every second of attention. Stiles just gritted his teeth until they reached the house, and once they had he sent Ella to her room to tidy up so that Erica could see how good a girl she was. Since Stiles knew her room was a complete train wreck after an impromptu game of fort building before she went to bed last night, it was safe for him to have a little conversation with Erica.

“What the hell were you thinking!”

Erica affected an expression of hurt. “I just wanted to see my baby.”

“Fine. That's fine and you know I would never stop you from visiting her, but you can't just turn up at her school and try to take her out during the school day! That's illegal. Even I would have to have a damn good reason to take her out of school and I'm on a list of approved adults you are allowed to pick her up from school.”

“Why aren't I on that list?”

“Because you spend all of five minutes in Beacon Hills, Erica. I can only have one other person on that list and I need it to be someone who is actually around. My dad picks her up if I can't, but normally it's me there every day at nine to drop her off and at three to pick her up.”

Erica sighed, dropping the fake hurt act and looking genuinely tired. “I'm sorry Stiles, I guess I didn't really think this through. Which is ironic, really. I um... I had a fight with Boyd. He started talking about kids and I just freaked out on him. This little incident really proves how unfit I am as a mother, huh?”

“Boyd wants kids? That's... huge.” 

“Don't worry, he would never dream of asking me to take custody of Ella away from you. He knows how much you love her and that in her eyes you are her daddy.”

“She knows I'm not. I told her that she's not my biological daughter, didn't want her hearing it from some kid at school, or worse, finding out as a teenager. That never seems to go well in the movies.”

Erica laughed. “I wouldn't judge you if you'd kept it a secret, but I'm glad you talked about it with her. She's a bright little girl and there wouldn't be anyway of hiding it for long.”

“She told me that I was the best daddy in the world and even though I didn't help make her born I she would still choose me out of all the dads there were.” Stiles smiled.

“She was right, you are the best daddy in the world,” Erica agreed, and Stiles was motivated to hug her. She looked so miserable in that moment, trapped between the mistake she had made as a teenager and the future she wanted to embrace.

“Daddy! Momma! I made my room look nice, come see,” Ella suddenly appeared and both adults felt themselves being dragged off, smiling as they spent time with their daughter.


	7. Bad Dreams

Stiles was sleeping peacefully when he felt small, cold hands tugging at his arm. “Daddy,” a little voice whispered. “Daddy, Erica is still here.”

Stiles opened his eyes and saw Ella staring at him with big beautiful green eyes. He opened his arms and she climbed onto the bed and snuggled her icy cold body into his warmth. “Baby, how long have you been out of bed?”

“Um... well, I needed the potty so I had to get up, then I was thirsty and I went into the kitchen but on the way I saw Erica on the couch. She was sleeping.”

“You should be sleeping, too. Daddy was sleeping. Daddy likes sleep,” Stiles muttered, struggling not to doze off. 

“Is she going to be here tomorrow?” Ella asked in a small voice.

Stiles looked down at his little girl and sighed silently. It seemed tonight was going to be a long one. Erica had already disturbed their normal bedtime routine just by being here and then she'd kept Ella awake for an extra two hours playing games, reading stories and just generally catching up. It had been great, watching them and joining in with their laughter. He hadn't seen Erica look that happy in a long time. Which made him realise that she hadn't been in town for a long time. She kept in contact via skype, facetime, text, emails, postcards and Facebook so it kind of felt like she was always around, but when he thought about it she hadn't been in the same room as them for as long as eight months and if he remembered correctly it had been a short visit because her mom was ill. She'd been jetlagged, stressed and unhappy. Eight months was a long time for adults to go without seeing each other, let alone a seven year old child. 

“She's going to be here in the morning, yes, but I'm not sure how long she's staying for.”

“Oh.”

“Is something worrying you, Ella?”

“My friend Kayti has foster parents and she says that every night when she goes to sleep she prays that her real mommy and daddy will come and take her away,” Ella told him solemnly and Stiles heart froze. To Stiles the fact that he wasn't biologically related to Ella meant nothing, she was his daughter and he'd fight to the death if anyone ever tried to take her away from him. The winter before she had started school they had sat down together and he had explained that Erica was her mommy but that Stiles wasn't her daddy, he was just the person who loved her most in the world and wanted to take care of her so that was why she lived with him and called him daddy. It had been the hardest conversation he had ever had in his life, much harder than 'dad I'm giving up a chance at college and the idea of dating to take care of my best friend's daughter'. Luckily he had the most understanding and loving little girl in the world and Ella had told him that she didn't care if he wasn't related to her by blood, he was still her daddy and that was the end of it. He knew that one day it might come back to bite him in the ass, but he had been expecting teenage tantrums with the words 'you're not my real dad' thrown at him in a hormonal rage. This sudden concern about genetic relatives was like being punched in the heart, and it didn't help that the timing was so bad. If only Derek Hale could have stayed gone forever.

“Is that what you think mommy is here to do?” He asked, trying to sound neutral even if his heart was breaking into smithereens. 

Ella blinked and tears welled up and spilt down her rosy cheeks. “I don't want to leave you daddy!” She sobbed.

“Oh, baby, no!” Stiles tugged her close to him so that she could hear his heart beat the way he knew she liked to and stroked her soft blonde hair. “Erica knows that you and me belong together. She wants you to be happy, which is why she would never take you away from me. Besides, I wouldn't let her, because you, Miss Eloise Stilinski, are the love of my whole life!” 

“Promise,” Ella sniffed, rubbing her wet, snotty face into his favourite grey bed tee.

“Promise,” he said, and kissed her forehead. 

“Okay,” she said, and yawned widely. “Daddy, I'm tired now, can we go to sleep?”

He laughed softly. Only his daughter could wake him up in the middle of the night and then complain about being tired. “Okay, let's get some rest. Love you, Ella.”

“Lobe you too daddy,” she mumbled and drifted off to sleep.

Despite the fact that Stiles himself had only had about an hours sleep, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from his daughter's cherubic face. She looked so peaceful, so trusting. She let him tell her everything was going to be okay and she believed in him the way the devout believed in their god. It was a humbling experience, being someone's whole world. Stiles knew it could only be this way for a short while. One day she would invite other people into her life; it would start with best friends who knew who she had a crush on, and then one day that crush would become love and he would lose her to adulthood. It would be okay, he knew every parent went through that terrifying and bittersweet experience, but for now he wanted to bask in the wonder of being the one to raise such a perfect little person.

At about six am his peace was shattered. He knew Erica was awake because he heard her attempts to subtly move about the living room. She stubbed her toe at least once and her shin collided with the coffee table on her journey. Stiles didn't worry, she had never been an early riser so he assumed she was off to the toilet in a sleepy daze. Seconds later a scream paralysed him. When he was able to, he lifted Ella off of his chest and settled her into the space he had just evacuated. He pulled the door closed behind him, his trusty baseball bat in hand, and crept through the house until he found Erica.

She looked like she had seen a ghost. She was as pale as the day she'd given birth, her hair a wild tangle around her face and tear tracks evident. When she saw Stiles she almost threw up.

He knelt to her side and stroked a thumb down her face. “Erica, what is it? Did you hear someone in the house?”

She shook her head, unable to speak. Instead she gestured to Ella's room. “What? What is it? Did you see a spider in Ella's bedroom? Tell me, I'm at a loss here.”

“She's not there. I'm so sorry, Stiles, I must have left a door open or forgot to close a window or something. I can't find her anywhere!” Erica said, crying freely now.

“Yeah,” Stiles agreed softly, “because she's in my room. Little devil snuck in there last night and fell asleep with me. It's okay, Erica, she's okay.” His words seemed to have the opposite effect. Instead of solving the issue of the crying woman in the corridor she was now sobbing loudly. Stiles mused silently that she and Ella had the same crying mannerisms, so he used the same methods he would use on his daughter. He hugged her close and stroked her hair until she was calmer and able to breathe properly. Stiles was just glad that she hadn't had an fit. 

“Why is mommy crying?” A sleepy angelic voice asked from behind them.

“I.... uh...”

“She had a nightmare, Ella, and it really scared her.”

Ella nodded. “When I have a nightmare daddy gives me a hug, too.”

Erica smiled weakly. “I feel much better now, but maybe if you gave me a hug I would feel all the way better?”

Ella smiled and joined the embrace, sitting in the middle of an Erica-Stiles sandwich. “Is this better now, mommy?”

“Yes, sweetie, it is, thank you,” Erica said, her voice a near whisper in the calm after the storm.

“Come on,” Stiles said when they had been there long enough for his left leg to go numb. “Let's get dressed and then we can get pancakes for breakfast before school.”

“Yay, pancaked!” Ella jumped up and ran into her bedroom. Laughing, Stiles helped Erica to her feet. They would talk about what happened later but nothing was more important than pancakes.


	8. What Cannot Be Forgiven is Never Forgotten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So some of you are probably surprised to see me again! I went on hiatus for a while but am posting a new chapter today. Sorry guys! My muse abandoned me. :/

They made a beautiful picture, the happy family indulging their daughter’s wish for pancakes early on a Tuesday morning. Ella smiled adorably up at both her parents and giggled as Erica made faces at her choice of food; blueberry pancakes with bacon on the side. Erica was a steadfast maple syrup fan and the banter that ensued was heartwarming for Stiles who liked to see mother and child bond, even over the small things in life. Every day he was blessed with the gift of Ella and he simply refused to imagine being parted from her. The waiter left with their orders recorded in his mind and Ella gave a cheeky grin as her shyness disappeared. Stiles was about to tease her some when the bell above the door jangled alarmingly announcing the arrival of new customers. Stiles looked up to see Ella’s teacher and her Alpha husband arguing as they made their way to a nearby table without noticing anyone else. They were caught up in their own troubles and Stiles couldn’t help by eavesdrop. He leaned back in his seat to here better.

“-don’t understand why you’ve been acting so... Off lately.”

“You don’t understand? My father is dying, Jennifer, I think that’s all the explanation needed.” Even to Stiles’ ill-educated ears Derek sounded entirely too defensive for that to be the reason behind his change in behavior. Still, he was sad to hear that the Mayor’s husband was sick. He had seen him around the town, impossible to avoid him in such a small place, and Christian Hale had been polite enough not to approach Stiles and Ella. He appreciated that it must be hard for the Hales to respect Erica’s decision to have Stiles raise their granddaughter without knowledge of her Hale roots. Stiles could see the pain in Laura’s eyes every time Ella called her ‘Doctor Hale’, see the resentment disguised by hate in Cora’s posture whenever he bumped into her on the street, and Talia... Mayor Hale was a powerful and charismatic woman who turned to ice in the presence of Stiles, like she couldn’t admit to having emotions or she’d be overwhelmed by them. It was sad that they couldn’t have the relationship with Ella that they deserved, but that decision had been made by Derek when he hooked up with Erica and then forgot her without even a second thought. The man didn’t merit another chance to be Ella’s father. 

“No,” Mrs Hale bit back. “That’s not it. You were stoic, shockingly, when we found out the news about Christian and you’ve been hiding your grief behind a stony face ever since, but lately... It’s almost like you’ve found something to distract you, something to put a bounce in your step. I’m your wife, Derek, I have more than earned the right to know.”

“Stiles?” Erica said, irritation laced through her voice and Stiles realized she must have been saying his name for a while. “What’s.... Oh.” She paled, leaving two burning spots of humiliation in her cheeks. For all her bravado about Derek moving back to town he guessed the reality of seeing him again was just as traumatic for her as it had been for Stiles, albeit for slightly different reasons. Before meeting Boyd, Erica hadn’t had a lot of self-confidence, but there had been an air of desperation around her that had encouraged her to go big, to go after the Mayor’s basket ball hero son. Stiles knew that she’d not planned a pregnancy to trap Derek, after all if she had it made no sense that she hadn’t tried harder to tell him and that she’d refused money and help from Talia Hale when the Mayor realised what had happened. They’d been so young... It wasn’t fair that one night defined Erica for the rest of her life, but her reaction showed that she’s never really gotten over it the way she pretended she had.

“Do you want to leave?” Stiles asked Erica in a low voice. Ella glanced up from the drawing she’d been doing to watch her parents with curiosity.

Erica shook her head, a smiled plastered on her face now that it was obvious both Stiles and Ella had picked up on her distress. “No, that’ll draw attention for sure. Besides, our drinks are here.”

The waiter leaned across to serve a tall milkshake in a thick glass with straws to Ella who lit up like a Christmas tree. Stiles thought he was a pretty fair parent, but he didn’t allow her to live on shakes and ‘cakes all the time so this kind of thing as reserved for treats only. Normally it was a bowl of cereal and some fruit for breakfast, maybe some preserve on toast if he was feeling particularly generous. 

Stiles thanked the waiter and handed him a five dollar note for being so prompt and having nice smile. He worked in the industry and knew how important tips were for the staff at these establishments. He sipped his sweet black coffee and squeezed Erica’s limp hand in reassurance. They may have disagreements, they may have tension about Ella, but they always had each others backs because at the end of the day they were a family, sharing the responsibility and privilege of being the two people in the whole world who had Ella’s best interests at heart.

*

Jennifer heaved a sigh, her fork was making pretty patterns in the scrambled eggs on rye that she’d ordered but she was making sure that Derek noticed she hadn’t taken a bite of her food. It was important that he knew she was upset with him, but it didn’t do to anger him with her suspicions verbally. Subtly was key with Derek: He wasn’t a dense man, she’d never have married him if he had been.

He reached across the table to her hand, curling his palm over her finely shaped nails to calm their agitated movements. Jennifer made sure not to meet his eyes at this point, as if she was still too raw to do so. His grip turned into a stroke and his voice softened as he spoke to her.

“Jen, I’m sorry. I know I’m a mess right now. It’s not your fault.”

“Then who’s fault is it?” She asked sharply.

“No ones,” he said lamely.

She snatched her hand away, folding it across her body defensively. “Are you leaving me?” She asked, with an incredulous waver in her voice. He’d never fall for tears, it had to be justified reaction. As far as he was concerned she was happy in her marriage and had no knowledge of reason to doubt his commitment to her so to start with water works would be uncharacteristic.

“No,” he said, louder than intended. Several people in the near by tables looked over and he frowned, casting a glance around at the nosy people. His gaze got stuck, however, and failed to return to her as expected. Jennifer turned to see what had caught his attention and saw that Ella Stilinski was at a table nearby with her father and the beautiful young blonde who’d tried to whisk Ella out of school yesterday. She glanced at Derek and back again at the Stilinski’s, no, her husband was definitely staring at that table.

“Do you know them?” She asked, curious enough to risk a change of conversation and loosing the higher ground in their spat.

“I...” He took a sip of the coffee he’d ordered, black with three sugars, either to moisten his throat or to give him an extra minute to compose himself. Either way Jennifer was on high alert. “Yeah... I mean, it’s a small town, everyone knows everyone hear.” 

It sounded weak. “Right,” Jennifer rolled her eyes. “I know the man, he’s the father of one of my students. Too young to have gone to school with you, though.”

“No, he’s a year younger than Cora.”

“Is that how you know him?”

“No, I didn’t know him growing up at all really. He’s the manager at that little cafe I told you about.”

“Right. The one you can’t stay away from,” Jennifer mused out loud. Her husband’s obsession with ‘getting out of the house’ was suddenly starting to make sense.

“It’s good coffee.”

“I’m sure,” she agreed too smoothly. He turned his gaze on her and she hurried the conversation along. “You know, the first time I met him I thought he looked familiar.”

“We ran into him in the grocery store. His daughter smashed all those watermelons, remember?”

Jennifer remembered that he’d been staring back then as well. What on earth was it about this boy that had her husband so transfixed. Sure, he was an attractive Omega but hardly the pretty type to cause Alphas to stop and stare. A good bone structure and moles hardly enticed. 

“Oh, yes, I remember now,” Jennifer said casually, pausing to have a gulp of her now lukewarm green tea. “What about the blond?”

“Erica Reyes, she was in Cora’s year at school.”

“Let me guess, she hung around Cora to get to you?”

“Something like that,” Derek admitted. 

“Well,” Jennifer said, making sure to sound bored. “It all sounds like ancient history to me. Come on, you can drop me off at work before scuttling off to that little coffee shop that you love so much.”

Derek shook his head, clearly still shaken by the sight of the small family. “I don’t think I’ll go today.”

“You can still drop me off. Give me a big kiss outside the school gates and give this little town something to talk about,” she smiled coyly. 

Derek smiled back, Alphas were so predictable sometimes. “Something like this?” He suggested, leaning in to nip at her lips.

“I was imagining something with tongue.”

“They’ll send you to the headmaster’s office for PDA,” he teased.

“I’m sure you can make it worth it,” she whispered, fluttering her lashes slightly. He leaned in and traced the gap in her lips with his tongue. She moaned lightly and he slipped in, kissing her deeply. It was a great distraction technique and Jennifer needed him distracted as she plotted her next move.


	9. Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god super super sorry for the absense! I was without internet for TWO MONTHS. Ugly times. Back now and super super super excited to be posting again! My first day with internet! So happy! Anyway, sorry about the shortness of the chapter but it's kind of a let's-move-this-along-now chapter. It's all gonna kick off soon!

Erica had paid for breakfast, her treat she insisted, and they left the diner together. Outside on the sidewalk she hesitated, biting her lip and hovering a meter away from the car.

“Coming?” Stiles asked as he settled Ella in her child-seat.

“I... Maybe it’s best if you take her by yourself.”

“Embarrassed about yesterday?” Stiles guessed accurately.

She blushed and avoided his gaze. “Good,” he added. “Maybe next time you’ll think before you act. Seriously, Erica, you can come in the car. I’ll even drop you off somewhere first as long as it’s not more than five minutes out of the way.”

She shook her head, blonde curls flying everywhere. “No, thanks. I’m gonna walk. Have a good day at school, sweetie.” She smiled softly at Ella.

“Are you gonna be here affa school, Momma?” Ella asked.

“I,” Erica glanced at Stiles who made sure he had a neutral expression. “Sure, baby. I’ll be here for dinner tonight.”

Stiles kissed Erica on the cheek and climbed behind the wheel to drive his daughter to school. On the way he distracted her by talking about an upcoming birthday sleepover she had and what she thought was a good present for the child in question. By the time they arrived Ella was in a fairly stable mood and hopped out to dash off towards her classroom. Stiles smiled and chased after her, not caring if anyone disapproved of their fast pace.

Ella found her way to her class room and stopped outside to give Stiles a hug and kiss. He smiled, lingering a moment to appreciate the warmth in his chest and the simplicity of loving a child but it seemed it was a minute too long. Jennifer Hale approached him, closing the door on the kindergarteners with a pinched expression.

“Mrs Hale,” Stiles greeted her. “How are you?”

“Honestly Mr Stilinki, I’m concerned... I don’t want to make you comfortable, but I noticed you were breakfasting with the same woman who came to the school yesterday?”

Stiles’ heart was pounding in his chest. The encounter reeked of ambush and this woman already had the ability to give his sweaty palms just by value of her association with Derek. “I... Uh... Yes. That is... Erica, she’s Ella’s mother. Just visiting, she lives out of state. Her job keeps her on the move so I have custody of Ella.”

“So you’re both Ella’s parents?”

“Yes.”

“But you’re both Omegas?”

“I... No! No, no I’m not. What gave you that impression? I’m a Beta, read Ella’s file, it’s all documented!” 

“Mr. Stilinki, my nose never lies. You turned up on the first day of school in heat. If you want to keep your gender private, that’s of course your right but to lie about it on official documentation is extremely dangerous and illegal.”

“I’m not lying,” Stiles insisted, knowing there was no way out of it. “And frankly this is none of your business. Please, leave this alone and do your job, be Ella’s teacher.”

Stiles turned and walked away, ignoring the flush of anger and panic that reddened his face. She called after him but there were other students arriving and parents who wouldn’t appreciate their child’s teacher making a scene. Besides, Stiles would be back. It was unavoidable. His world was about to become crashing down around him and there was nothing he could do about it. He should have run the minute Derek freaking Hale arrived back in Beacon Hills.

 

Jennifer took a deep breath and picked up the receiver. She wasn’t sure she was ready for this, and it really couldn’t have come at a worse time but if she didn’t act now then things would happen on their own, and that meant out of her control. That outcome was unacceptable.

“Department of Child Protection Services, how can I help?” 

Jennifer swallowed down her misgivings and sealed her fate. “Good morning, I’m calling as a teacher at Beacon Hills School. I would like to be connected to someone who can help me schedule a ‘Best Interest’ meeting?”

“Please hold,” a low hum that frazzled her nerves sounded for several minutes before the receptionist was speaking again. “And the name of the child in question?”

Jennifer took a deep breath before answering. “Ella Stilinski.”


	10. Words can hurt the most

Two days later and a small manilla envelope was sat on the carpet by the front door just waiting to unravel their lives. Erica scooped it up on her way out the door, her luggage packed away in a pink holdall that Stiles had offered to carry, being a gentleman as he was.

“It's for you,” she said, casually handing it to him.

“That's odd, you know since I live here and all.”

Erica arched her eyebrows at him. “Okay, Mr Moody. Just saying. Where do you want it?”

“Who's it from? Is it junk?”

Erica peered closely at the stamp, her face paling dramatically as she read the writing. “Stiles...”

“What?” He asked, shifting his weight. Her bag was heavy and he was regretting that foolish instinct of his to take care of everyone as it had landed him in this very situation. Clearly it wasn't Omega specific as Erica had no trouble letting others take care of her! 

“Stiles,” she repeated, her tone urgent. “It's from the Department of Families and Children.”

“K, well it's probably just something about school or something.”

“No, Stiles, they don't send letters out unless it's important.”

Stiles dropped the bag and grabbed the letter. He tore it open and skimmed the first few lines, his face losing what little colour he had as he swayed.

“What? What is it?”

“A meeting called to discuss Ella's situation as it's been called to the attention of the DFC that her primary guardian is an Omega without blood relation and aparently someone thinks there is reason to be concerned,”

“Fuck!”

“Yeah, fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. It lists Mrs J. Hale as an 'expert witness' to the care situation. She's known Ella like five minutes, what makes her an expert. Unless...”

“What are we going to do!” Erica exclaimed as she pulled the brown bag away from her mouth for just enough time to get the words out before she cupped it close to breathe in again.

Stiles glared and snatched the bag away from her, she had the tendency to be a bit dramatic some times. “This, this panic you are feeling, this is how I felt when he first came back into town so don't expect any sympathy from me.”

She turned her puppy dog blues on him. “But Stiles, without me here he never would have been able to make the connection and figure out that Ella is his child. It would have been fine. Now he has a chance of figuring it out, and I'm stuck in the middle!”

“We don't know that he has figured it out, just that they know I lied on Ella's admission papers.”

“Well why did you?” She asked sharply, eager to have the blame taken off of her shoulders. 

Stiles rolled his eyes. “They aren't going to let an Omega who isn't a blood relative raise a child, let alone one who was a minor when she was born! With the Hales in town I had no hope of keeping her if it was made public that I'm an O!” He watched as her expression fell. Erica had no idea of the impact on Stiles' life that her decision to leave had made and normally that didn't bother Stiles, he was more than prepared to make some sacrifices for his daughter as long as he got the privilege of being able to call her that, however there were days – today for example – when a bit more awareness wouldn't kill Erica, even if it did make her look like a drowned puppy that had been kicked. He sighed, guilt overriding his own emotional roller-coaster. 

“Stiles, I'm so sorry. I should never have left you to deal with this.”

“No, Erica. You don't have to apologise to me for Ella. I love that girl and she is my life, blood or not. There isn't a single thing in the universe I would change if it meant giving her up.”

“But now you might have to anyway...” She realised in a small voice.

Stiles moved away from her, foreging in the fridge for fixings to use for tonights meal since he hadn't been shopping yet. He needed to focus on the fact that he was still Ella's parent and she needed him to put her first, and right now that meant carrying on as normal. “It's a 'best interest' meeting, not a summoning to family court. It's just because we know Derek's wife has something to do with it that has us panicked.”

“Stiles-”

“Don't, okay. Don't. I just need to make her dinner and think about what she needs for school tomorrow. I'll contact her social worker and make sure he comes to the meeting, there isn't anything else I can do right now.”

“Want me to help?” She offered.

He shuddered. “No, thank you, I don't think giving Ella food poisoning is the best way to prove my adequacy as her primary caregiver, do you?” He grinned and she pouted, throwing a pair of oven gloves in his direction and laughing when they landed over his face. 

“Oh, it's like that is it! Well, be prepared Reyes, I bring my A game!” He growled, and move to the sink where a water pistol happened to be resting, what a shame. Erica shrieked as he pumped the gun and he aimed. She ducked and ran for it; he pursued!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, thank you all for your kind words! Didn't expect such a welcome back! Sorry these chapters are so small, the one afterwards (which is written) is longer, promise!

“Derek, I need you to be honest with me,” Jennifer sat alone in their newly furnished house, a glass of wine next to an almost empty bottle on the breakfast bar and the lights dim.

“Why are you sitting in the dark, Jen?”

“Scared you, did I?”

“Little bit.”

“Good, maybe you should be scared, not of me but of losing me.”

“Hey, what are you talking about?” He said softly, coming around to sit opposite her. She raised her eyes, artfully tearful with make up blurry but not ugly. Jennifer was never ugly when Derek could see her.

“That girl in the café, you know her better that you wanted me to believe.”

“Babe, she's no one,” he said, and she could tell he meant it.

“Maybe not now, but what about eight years ago?”

“She was a friend of Cora's, that's it,” he said, uneasily.

“You know, I mentioned her name to Cora. Your sister is only a good liar when it's by omission.”

Derek's voice dropped a few degrees. “What did she say?”

“Derek! It's not what Cora had to say, it's what you should be saying! I knew you eight years ago, we were engaged!”

“Dating, and we hadn't made any promises,” he was quick to point out.

“Looks like you do remember her,” Jennifer's voice was scathing. 

“Like I said, it was nothing. Just a flirtation that went to far. Afterwards I never heard from her again. What's this even about?”

“She has a child, Derek, a seven year old daughter who looks just like you, and before you tell me I'm making this up ask your sisters. Hell, ask your mother!” Jennifer slid off the stool and stumbled on the legs of the chair. Derek, ever the chivalrous husband, leapt to her aid but she pushed him away.

“I don't want you near me right now,” she choked the words out, giving the best performance of her life fuelled by genuine emotions. “I'm going to bed. If you're smart then you won't be joining me.”

He let go and she forced him to watched her crying and stumbling until she was out of his sight, leaving him alone in the kitchen with the 'Best Interest' letter on the table. He'd find it, she was sure, and his sense of indignation and Alpha honour wouldn't allow him to ignore it. Of course it was totally insensitive to his wife, which was something she could use later on in the game. For now she had planted enough bad seeds, all she needed to do was wait for them to grow into trees and their fruit to ripen. Poor Derek, he really shouldn't play with matches when he didn't know they were on fire, he was going to get burned. Jennifer lay down in their brand new bed and breathed in the clean cotton smell, hoping that this wouldn't back fire and become the only smell associated with their bed. Fire, after all, was non-discriminatory, and would burn anyone close.


	12. Confrontation

The phone beeped incessantly and Derek gave the screen a quick glance before cancelling the in-coming call. He didn't want to hear whatever Laura had to say right now, he was too busy trying to comprehend this massive lie his family had conspired to keep from him. Even his dad had known about Ella's parentage and yet not a single one of them in eight whole years even hinted the truth. How could they call him family and yet treat him so? It was more than likely that he wouldn't have handled the news gracefully but he had a right to know, especially considering how many people did know. At least Jennifer had told him, and even if this was hurting her right now he knew he could trust her to be honest and be there for him always. She was his wife and he knew he could never regret the day that had been made official.

“Ready?” She asked, at his side as she should be. Jennifer looked a little pale today, her make-up minimal and her wardrobe a professional black pant suit that was too smart for a bunch of seven year olds.

“Is it okay if I say no?” 

Her expression tightened. “Babe, I'm joking, sorry I know it's bad taste I just... I've never been this nervous?”

“Not even on our wedding day?”

“Of course not. How could I ever be nervous about making a commitment to you? You are the one thing I am sure of, Jen, and I know this situation is hardest on you but here you are, at my side, proving that you are the best part of my life.”

Her eyes melted and her arm tugged into the crook of his. “Well, I think it'll probably be hardest on Ella, poor girl. Who knows what they've told her about her real parents!”

“I love you Jen, it's just like you to think of others before yourself.”

“Come on,” she said with a small smile. “It wouldn't do to be late.”

They walked arm in arm into the school, turning down corridors that Derek barely remembered from his formative years until they reached the principle’s office where the meeting would be held. It was rare that these meetings were held at school, but it had been agreed by all parties that this was a neutral place for them all to meet. 

“Ah, you've arrived. That's wonderful, now we can begin!” Principle Travers, who was mediating the meeting, invited them in.

“What are you doing here?” Stiles, the Omega from the coffee shop, blurted out, his face ashen as if he'd just seen a ghost.

“Best Interest meetings have to be attended by both biological parents even if they aren't living with the child,” a smartly dressed Beta advised in a calm and collected voice, obviously having no idea what kind of bombshell he was dropping.

“I... I just didn't know that...”

“That I knew the truth about my own daughter?” Derek asked sharply, feeling betrayed by the beautiful Omega despite the fact they barely knew each other. A few stolen glances over coffee did not a bond make, but he'd felt like there was something there and to find out that Stiles had been willfully hiding something of this magnitude felt almost as bad as knowing his family had been doing the same thing. “I didn't, not until a few days ago, but now that I do I have every intention of being involved in her life.”

“I'm so sorry,” Erica whispered, and Derek turned around to face her only to find that she was looking at Stiles. He hardened his heart against her, she didn't even have the decency to feel bad about denying him the chance to be a part of his daughter's life.

“All right, let's start this meeting then. I am the state official, a Home Regulations Specialist with the Department of Families and Children, you may call me Alex. Please understand that the purpose of this meeting is not to negotiate custody of Ella Stilinski, but to talk about how her current situation is suited to her best interest and if there is anything that any party invited here today could do to improve her situation.”

“And what, exactly, is wrong with her 'situation'?” Stiles asked, her voice was as warm as the Arctic wind. 

Alex cleared his throat and glanced down at the files in front of him as he formulated an answer that was politically correct enough for him. “I... uh, nothing of course, however a single parent Omega family is never ideal and with so many interested parties here it's clear that things could be improved.” Alex finished with a grin, pleased at how he had avoided bias or insult.

“Why don't we introduce everyone so we can be clear on exactly who those interested parties are?” Suggested the principle, clearly noticing how unimpressed Stiles looked with the answer provided. 

“I'm Isaac Lahey,” a man sat to the left of Alex introduced himself, tall with curly blonde hair he was attractive and young but his eyes were hard as if he had seen pain and understood it intimately. “I've been Ella Stilinski's social worker since Erica voided her parental rights when Ella was four years old.”

“You gave up your parental rights? Why are you even here?” Derek asked, turning his anger on the blonde who had shared his bed on one fateful night. He couldn't comprehend giving up a child, especially not knowing how it felt to miss out on so much of his own child's life.

“Don't come in here and judge me!” Erica said, on the defensive immediately, her cheeks reddening. “Where were you when she was screaming at two o'clock in the morning and I hadn't slept in three days? Where were you when she had a fever and I couldn't afford a car to get her to the hospital? I had to call Stiles, who was fifteen! He is more of a father than you will ever be!”

“Babysitting doesn't change biology, Erica,” Derek bit back at her.

“Hey! None of this is helpful! Stop fighting amongst yourselves because that is definitely not in Ella's best interest,” Stiles reminded everyone, carefully not looking in Derek's direction. He didn't want the Alpha to see how badly his word had hurt. “So I’ll go next, the 'babysitter'. I'm Stiles Stilinski and I've been there for Ella since she was born. When Erica gave up her parental rights it was so I could officially adopt Ella, ever since I have been her primary guardian and caregiver.”

“And you have done a wonderful job,” Alex assured him. “By all accounts Ella is a bright, affectionate young girl with an advanced grasp of non-tangibles and an accelerated ability to apply lateral thinking. There is nothing in the records to indicate that the job you did raising Ella was anything other than exceptional.”

“Yet we're still here questioning my right to have custody of her,” Stiles pointed out bitterly.

“Do you know what it's like to be denied the first seven years of your daughter's life? You're lucky that you got anything at all,” Derek said.

“No, I don't know what that's like. But then I also don't know what it's like to fuck a sixteen year old girl then ignore her calls and pretend like it never happened for seven years, so I guess we're even.”

The principle took a deep breath, he looked like he regretted ever agreeing to mediate this meeting. “I must ask you all to be civil! Let us not get off topic. Now, let's continue with the introductions are in order.”

“I'm Erica Reyes, the aforementioned mother who gave her daughter away,” Erica snarled before she hunched back into her seat, arms crossed over her chest and eyes glued to the coffee stain on the grey carpet in front of her.

“Jennifer Hale, I teach Ella, I was also the person to call this meeting after learning that Mr Stilinski was an Omega and not a Beta as his official documentation suggested, and that he was not the biological parent of Ella.”

“You did this? Erica's head shot up. “I suppose the fact that Ella is your husband's illegitimate daughter had nothing to do with making that call?”

“It doesn't exactly thrill me,” Jennifer assured her, and Derek reached his hand out to hold hers. 

“I'm Derek Hale, the... father of Ella, apparently. Can we get this meeting started?”

“Of course. I'm Principle Travers and the agenda today is to assess the ways in which we can all better Ella's life.”

“I want to be a part of her life.”

“Mr Hale, please remember the agenda...”

Derek glowered. “I think Ella's life would be improved by having her biological father involved in her life.”

Travers nodded and made some notes on the legal pad he had in front of him.

“In what ways can you provide an improvement?” Alex asked.

“I have to justify myself?” Derek asked, incredulous. “Fine. I have a significant financial advantage and am part of a two adult household where both adults are earning a reasonable wage.”

“Finances are important. It's best for Ella to be able to access all of life's opportunities and your money could certainly achieve that.”

Derek smiled nastily at Alex.

“Hey, we're doing just fine without his money!”

“Fine? Fine? You want 'fine' for the child you profess to love so much? That's selfish.”

“Excuse me, you want to talk about selfish?”

“Children!” Travers interrupted. “Good grief, you'd think we were at war. Please, all of you calm down and put your personal differences aside for the moment.”

“Fine, they can offer money, why does that mean anything has to change? I'm more than happy for you to provide pocket money and a college fund. I just don't see why you need to be a part of her life. It will confuse her.”

“She thinks you're her father?”

“No,” Stiles confessed begrudgingly. “I... I told her she's adopted.”

“So she knows she has real parents out there, she just thinks I don't want her, is that right?”

“I am her real parent.”

“You're a stand in for Erica, you can't replace an Alpha parent no matter how hard you try. And you shouldn't try. Stiles – maybe we should be talking about what is best for you as well?”

“What's that supposed to mean.”

“I can see that you care for her,” Derek said, his plan forming even as he spoke. “I can see that you've been good for her and I agree that it would be detrimental for her to be separated from you, especially considering how tumultuous her childhood was. There is a place in my family for my daughter, there can be a place for you too.”

Jennifer froze at his side, her nails digging in painfully to the flesh of his hands but she wouldn't speak out against him until they were alone.

“You're a Beta?” Stiles asked her.

“You would have known that if you weren't taking Omega blockers,” she called him out. He blushed.

“You are? Stiles, that isn't good for you. If you joined our family then you wouldn't have to hide who you are just to keep Ella with you.”

“I can't.... I....”

“Stiles!” Hissed Erica.

“This meeting is disbanded,” Lahey called out. “More is being said on the side of custody than is advisable for a Best Interest meeting. Please finish the meeting on the note that financial aide is being put into place by the biological father while other issues are considered. Stiles, we need to leave, now!”

Stiles blinked up at Isaac as if he was a stranger, but, with Erica on his heels, he followed the Beta out of the room even as he couldn't look away from Derek's intense gaze. 

“That was unexpected,” Alex said. “I'll file the notes once I receive them from yourself Travers. Thank you all.”

“That's it?” Jennifer asked.

“You did the right thing, Mrs Hale. We'll be in touch.”

“The right thing?” She echoed, leaving the office with Derek. As soon as the door closed behind them. “Screw the right thing,” she whispered and took off in the opposite direction of the car. Derek didn't follow her, recognising her right to space.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By surprisingly popular request, I have returned! However my apologies because this is a pretty maudlin chapter! More coming soon!!!!!!

Stiles put Ella to bed after and hoped that she hadn't picked up on his own internal distress. True, she had been a bit noisier tonight than normal, filling the air with her sweet chatter and smiling extra big but for all he knew that was a result of the cake they'd eaten after dinner and the fact Erica had spent forty minutes braiding her Barbie doll's hair with her. He smiled at the thought and pushed open the door to the lounge, his smile falling right off his face. Erica was pushing the last of her clothing into a brown carry-all, her hair swept up into a simple bun without finesse or style and her face unusually free of make up so Stiles could see the redness of her eyes. 

“Are you going to say goodbye to her?” Stiles asked sharply, his own sense of abandonment overshadowing his better judgement. This was what Erica did, she came for a few fun filled emotional days, just long enough to remind Stiles that Ella was someone else's first and remind Ella that she had a mother. Sometimes Stiles wondered if these visits caused more harm than good, but in the end Erica was his friend as much as she was undeniably part of Ella.

“Don't take that tone with me, Stiles,” she sniffed indelicately, turning around to face him and crossing her arms over a baggy black t-shirt. Her travelling clothes. She sighed, loosing the attitude that was as much of a defence mechanism as his own. “I can stay, if you want?

Stiles shook his head, his finger tips and toes felt cold as he realised that this was the end of something. The future stretched out, uncertain and threatening. He'd always been able to focus on Ella's future, measuring his own life by her milestones, however that could all change. He wasn't okay.

“I... I could take her with me, if you wanted?” She choked out, the words sounded like razor blades spilling from her mouth and tears that she had thought herself past spilled hot and hurting down her cheeks.

“You want to take my daughter away from me too, huh?” He said, half heartedly. 

She rolled her eyes, tears falling faster. “Don't be a mongoose. I just want to do what's right. If... if I need to step up and be a mom I can do that if it saves her being torn apart by Derek's family and lawyer and...”

Stiles stepped up and wrapped her in his arms. “It'll be okay. I've got Ella. You go start a new family with Boyd and remember how much we love you and believe in you.”

Erica clung to him with desperation he hadn't felt from her since she first found out she was pregnant. “I'm so sorry,” she sobbed.

“It's okay,” he said, a mantra that had kept her going those first few years of Ella's life.

“I.. I don't think I can do this again.”

Stiles closed his eyes. “I know,” he said tightly.

“Tell me you don't hate me. It's okay if it's a lie.”

“I don't hate you and I would never lie to you. Just don't ask me if your ass looks big in that tee shirt.”

She laughed, hiccuping in the middle, and pulled back from the hug. “I want you to know I am never going to forgive myself for this.”

“I'll forgive you.”

“Ella won't understand.”

“She's going to be okay.”

“I know she is, that's why I'm not going to come back.”

Stiles nodded. The time had come for Erica to give up the ghost. She wasn't Erica's mother, didn't deserve to be and frankly wasn't capable of being. Stiles was the mother she could never be and inserting herself into a role that didn't fit was only serving to confuse Ella, and the poor girl was about to be confused enough as it was.

“Keep in touch,” Stiles warned.

She gave him a watery smile. “Duh. You're my best friend!”

Stiles watched her leave him. He wanted to be selfish enough to hate her, but that wasn't who he was. Sorrow filled him and he closed the door, locking it and finding his way to the sofa where Erica had slept. He pulled a blanket over him and resigned himself to a sleepness night.

Ella found him there ten hours later, with a cold cup of coffee in hand and bags under his eyes. She looked around the tidied room and stared at him with solemn eyes. 

“Baby, come and sit with me,” Stiles rasped out, his voice hurt from disuse. It was time to tell her a different story. This time it would not be a fairytale, with Erica playing the part of a princess. This time the story would be heartbreaking and true, because the day had come when Stiles could no longer hide the hard things in life from his daughter,and that was the most heartbreaking of all.

Ella practically ran into his arms, although she uncharacteristically didn't say anything. He hugged her close, kissing the top of her blonde head.

“Do you know how much I love you?”

She nodded.

“Well, Erica, your mom, loves you just as much.”

This time there was no nod. Stiles heart ached but he continued. “Erica was very young when she had you, you know, and I helped her. We both loved you and looked after you. Then Erica got sick, the kind of sick you are right now where you're just really sad on the inside and you don't want to talk or play or eat, and she had to get better so I looked after you all by myself. Do you understand?”

“I made mommy ill?”

“No!” Stiles said, sharper than intended. “No, not at all, it wasn't you. She loved you, you made mommy happy. She used to smile so much when she was with you. But she had to work and clean and she didn't have anyone to help her-”

“She had you!”

“Yeah, but I was looking after you. There was nobody there to look after Erica.”

“Did she get better when she went away?”

“Not straight away. She missed you tons and felt so bad about leaving, but then she met Boyd and he made her feel like she was worth loving. He fixed her.”

“Is Mommy coming back soon?”

“No, baby. Mommy has gone to live with Boyd all the time.”

“It's just you and me?”

“Always. I will never leave your side,” he whispered. For the first time he realised truly what sacrifices he would have to make to keep that promise, but nothing would ever stop him from doing so. That was what made him Ella's parent, biology be damned.


	14. Responsibility

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really sorry, I feel really off writing this but I have no beta so its just me posting as and when I can. I have such a desire to get to the rest of the story but don't want to rush! Agh.

Stiles wanted to be selfish and hide away from the world with Ella all day, however she asked to go to school and he couldn't risk looking like a bad parent by keeping her off of school for what would look like no real reason. Everything he did now could have serious consequences; but no pressure, right? He kept his hands wrapped tight around the wheel as he drove Ella to school, scared that his shaking hands would jolt the wheel. They arrived safely in one piece and he hopped out of the car to unstrap Ella from her child-safe seat and gather her belongings; gym bag, book bag, raincoat, and her show and tell item. Hand in hand they walked inside, Stiles's heart was pounding louder than the sound of a hundred school children and he felt like he was drowning in his own fear. Ella said nothing but she must have been able to feel the clamminess of his hands. He cursed himself for being so emotional. All he had to do was hang on for another twenty minutes and he could call in sick from work and collapse in a heap of fear and panic. Except, 'all he had to do' included facing Jennifer Hale, and that was no small thing on a normal day, let alone the day after his world came crashing down.

“Where's Mrs Hale?” Ella said, pulling him out of his dizzying panic.

“Huh?” Stiles looked up at the classroom door and saw a stranger there. He check the door number and the familiar art around it, definitely Ella's classroom.

“Hi, I'm Miss Pence, a substitute teacher. You must be Ella Stilinski, hello Ella,” the woman said softly, smiling down at a shy Ella.

“Hi Miss Pence,” Ella said.

“We're going to be doing a giant floor puzzle this morning, and the best part is we can colour it all in when we finish. Does that sound like a good idea?”

Ella nodded, biting her lip and letting go of Stiles hand to join her friends.

Miss Pence gave him a kindly look. “I'm afraid you've become quite famous, Mr Stilinski, what with the way teachers gossip.”

“The kids don't-”

“No. It's been kept in school, parents and children have no idea what is happening and I'm sure everyone will make sure it stays that way for a while. I am sorry, though, this can't be easy for you.”

“Thanks,” he said stiffly.

“Mrs Hale took a personal day. Maybe you should too?” She said, kindly.

He nodded, unable to tear his eyes away from where Ella was talking to her best friends Toby and Sky. 

“Mr Stilinski, don't worry about Ella. I'll keep them busy today. Our subject is secondary colors in nature. I have a giant floor puzzle of a jungle, a Madagascar DVD, paints, soft toys that make animal noises, and ingredients to make gluten free brownies to take home. It might not be the most educational day of her life but she'll be occupied and I hope have some fun.”

“And large quantities of sugar?”

Miss Pence smiled. “And large quantities of sugar. You might try that as well.”

“Just what the Teacher ordered,” he joked weakly, and found the will power to leave his daughter before he saw him standing there watching him. He didn't want to worry her when she had enough to worry about. 

The fresh air of the car park hit him and he took a deep calming breath. It was a good thing that Jennifer wasn't at school today, gave them all a chance to gather their thoughts and meant he didn't have to defend his choice to leave Ella in the dark regarding Derek's existence. Ella was still so young, and she had so much to cope with already. More than any kid should have to deal with. Hell, more than he could deal with. It was time to head home and hide from the world. 

Stiles intended to head straight for his unmade bed and curl up once he entered his house, however the dirty dishes in the sink called to him, they nagged at his brain until he admitted he wouldn't be able to sleep unless they were cleared away. Two hours later he had just finished folding a load of dried clothes, his house spic and span and his mind soothed by the monotony of his work. Only then did he allow himself the privilege of sitting down on the sofa. The next thing he knew the phone was ringing.

Stiles fumbled in the dark, his hand reaching out for his phone and connecting the call before he'd even opened his eyes. “Hello?” He rasped, blinking against the painful influx of light. He shifted in his seat, adjusting himself to sit up straight and groaned at the pain shooting through his back. 

“Stiles, it's Satomi.”

“Shit!” Stiles swore, flinching when his brain caught up with his mouth. “I mean... sorry, Satomi, I must have fallen asleep. I can get there in twenty minu-”

“I'm not calling about that.”

Stiles frowned, trying to lift the fog from his brain. This morning he had planned to call in sick to work, the first time he would have ever done so, but in his exhaustion he'd forgotten. He couldn't imagine that she'd be pleased about that, he also didn't understand any other reason she would be calling. 

“Stiles, you've never taken me for an idiot so please don't assume I have missed the fact your eyes never stray from our newest favourite customer when he is in the café.”

“That's... I can't even...” Stiles didn't stare at Derek that much, surely? Even if he did he certainly never expected anyone to notice and draw the wrong conclusion. Stiles was naturally suspicious of Derek, he watched him the way that prey watched the predator knowing that if they turned their intent towards them there was little they could do about it. 

“He's here now.”

“Well that is where the coffee is.”

“He's here asking for you.”

“I'm sick,” Stiles said, forcing a cough and feeling like a fool. By this point they both knew he was avoiding dealing with the situation, even if Satomi wasn't aware of exactly what the situation was.

“Can you afford to be a coward about this?” She asked without spite.

Stiles' breath caught. The truth always hurt the most. “I can't do this right now.”

“Of course you can, Stiles, you just don't want to. You are strong, you'll do whatever you need to for Ella.”

“How-”

“I believe I said that I wasn't an idiot,” she reminded him dryly.

“I'll be there in twenty minutes.”

“Of course,” she said evenly. “He'll be waiting in the back room.”

The phone disconnected and Stiles was left with a quiet sense of panic that left him almost breathless. It was different from the panic attacks that plagued him after his mother's death, different from the sick nervousness that left him shaking when he went out in public during his heat concerned with discovery. Somehow it was the worst aspects of both without the promise of treatment. He couldn't wait for it to subside, sure that the other side of the feeling would bring him peace. What waited for him at the end of this road wouldn't allow him serenity, of that he was certain.


	15. Omega

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so I probably wouldn't even be updating if i didn't have masses of course work to do. I just read through the work and it made my brain cry a little so instead I sat down and wrote over 2,000 words for you lovely people. Hope you like!

By the time Stiles made it to the little café that had been his safe haven when most other places wouldn't take even one look at a high school kid with a baby, Derek was skulking in the window scouring every passer-by to see if it was Stiles. When his eyes caught Stiles he froze like a predator getting ready to pounce. It made Stiles forget the warmth that usually coiled inside of him on rainy afternoons as he stood on the other side of the counter pouring coffees and passing out change to the townspeople. No where could be safe with Derek waiting to take away the only thing that really mattered to him, but he resented the taint that would now be forever associated with the café. 

Stiles deliberately ignored the intense glare that Derek threw his way and made his way to the counter, forcing a smile as Caitlyn beamed at him. 

“Hey boss,” she teased. “You know you aren't supposed to show up at your work place when you're playing hookey. Amateur mistake, Stiles. But I guess you do look like shit so there is that!”

“Wow, Caitlyn, and I was so close to recommending you for a promotion.”

“Liar. Besides why'd I want a promotion? It means I'd have to put up with people like me coming to ask for favours like can I have Friday afternoon off?” She fluttered her bright blue eye lashes at him.

Stiles rolled his eyes. “Make me a really impressive and highly caffeinated beverage and I'll think about it.”

“That sounds like a yes to me!” She sing songed as she turned away from the counter and started pushing buttons and arranging cups on the coffee machine. 

Stiles watched with hopeful glee as she readied not one, not two but three shots of Stiles' favourite blend of coffee, preparing steamed milk and gingerbread syrup. He enjoyed the process so much that he got a little lost in the moment, that was until a heavy hand pulled him away from his peace and back to the confrontation that had Stiles stomach churned up like a ploughed field.

“We need to talk,” Derek hissed, rage at being ignored evident in the hard lines of his face. Stiles struggle not to find the man beautiful, unfortunately his glare did nothing to detract from the perfection of his eyebrows or the jewel like quality of his eyes. Even so Stiles still felt a flicker of fear ignite inside him, a primal Omegan instinct to stay away from volatile Alphas. 

“I don't know about you but what I really need is coffee, you know since I didn't get a wink of sleep last night,” Stiles' mouth was unaffected by the tension that seized the rest of his body, making it seem like an impossible challenge to pull himself free of the Alpha's grasp.

Caitlyn stood awkwardly frozen by the counter, looking torn between continuing her work and offering to fight Derek for daring to touch another person in such a way. Stiles thought it was sweet but he hoped no one fought, he didn't enjoy conflict of any kind.

“Derek Hale!” Satomi's voice, which Stiles had never heard her raise before, boomed across the café causing the even dozen customers to turn around and stare in rude voyeurism. “You remove your hand before I remove it for you. I invited you here because I thought you could behave like a reasonable person. Don't make me a fool!”

Derek dropped his hand immediately and took a step back, but the glare remained on his face. Stiles took a deep breath and leaned a little against the counter but he tried to hide it. Caitlyn reached out and Stiles flinched away.

Her expression was pained. “Stiles, are you okay?” She asked.

“Yeah, I, uh...” He coughed and did his best not to wrap his arms around himself in the parody of a hug. “I'm fine.”

“Here, drink this,” she said, putting the finished coffee in front of him in his favourite mug – a discontinued mug of white china that was more like a bowl than a cup – and Stiles could see an extra drizzle of caramel syrup on top. He tried to smile his gratitude but from the worry in her eyes he guessed he failed to make a suitably reassuring expression.

“On the house, of course,” Satomi insisted. 

Stiles didn't argue, perhaps more of a testament to his unsettled mind than anything else that day. It wasn't so much that Derek had grabbed him; the touch hadn't hurt in itself, it was more the intensity of his own reaction. Stiles kind of considered himself somewhat defective as an Omega. He had mild heats that were a bitch to go through but other than that he seemed to lack the ability or desire to attract an Alpha or get pregnant or whatever. Wasn't it supposed to be innate? Wasn't he supposed to look at babies and sigh, rubbing his stomach and make goo-goo eyes at attractive and eligible bachelor alphas? Okay, he knew that was mostly the media drawing from the old fashioned ideal of a traditional Omega, and that it had hardly ever been a reality. After all a hundred years ago Omegas weren't just sat at home making meatloaf and rearranging the furniture, they'd been out in the world working the Alpha and Beta jobs while their spouses, parents, children, neighbours all went off to war. Still, Stiles hadn't thought he had it in him to react with the instincts of an Omega, but that was how Derek's touch had made him feel. It wasn't something he wanted to understand right now, and he felt like it put him at a disadvantage when the situation had hardly been favourable in the first place. 

“Do I need to play mediator or can you both act like the responsible and level headed individuals that I know you to be?” Satomi asked at a more reasonable volume. Most of the spectators had returned to their idle conversation by now, bored when they realised nothing was happening in front of them.

“It will be fine. We're both adults,” Derek said between gritted teeth.

“What he said only with more feeling,” Stiles agreed. He didn't particularly want to be alone with Derek right now, not with how he was feeling, but it was even more nightmarish to think about his boss seeing him like this. Besides, he guessed in a way he had started it by being rude.

“Right. Well, I expect there to be no blood or broken furniture when you are finished. Go on then, you've caused enough of a stir and you know the way,” she shooed them out.

Stiles turned away and walked into the back room, not giving Derek a chance to lead. His phone buzzed just as he was deciding on where to sit and he looked at the screen;

Caityn: if you need me; yell. Or text 'now' or like '999' or something because dude, I will be your knight in barista armour if you need me.

He knew there was a reason he liked her.

Derek came in behind him and stood by the door. At first Stiles didn't understand but then Derek gestured impatiently towards the set of chairs scattered around what would be considered the break room. Stiles chose one near the door and let the Alpha make of that what he will.

“I'm sorry, about... I shouldn't have touched you like that?” Derek said gruffly once he had sat in one of the unsteady metal frame chairs opposite Stiles.

“Why because I'm an Omega?” Stiles bit back defensively. The apology made his heckles rise.

Derek looked surprise at the conclusion he had drawn. “No, because you are a person and it isn't right to invade your personal space like that.”

“Right, well... I accept your apology. And I kind of am sorry about ignoring you even though I knew you were waiting for me but coffee is super important to me, like there's Ella and then there is my dad and Scott and then there is coffee.”

“What about Lydia?” Derek asked, seemingly out of the blue.

“Huh?”

“Where does she rate?”

“I uh... how do you know I'm friends with Lydia?”

Derek looked away. “I've seen you around with her. You look close.”

“Yeah. I am, with her and her wife Allison. But yeah, she ranks like just below coffee but only because I generally need coffee to keep up with her she is like a machine. Also if you ever tell her that I ranked coffee above her then I will probably end up dead. In which case getting custody of Ella would be so much simpler. Please don't tell her! I mean... let's talk about Ella.”

“She's amazing. You did a good job raising her.”

“Well, someone had to,” Stiles pointed out.

Derek raised a single eyebrow in an enviable expression of chastisement. “If I had known then it would have been me,” he said with all the certainty of a person who didn't have to prove it. “It should have been Erica. Why wasn't it?”

“She was sixteen. You know she was in love with you, right?”

“She was infatuated,” Derek snorted, dismissing the idea.

Stiles shrugged and slurped down the dregs of his sugary coffee. “Well, it hurt her pretty bad that you didn't even pick up the phone once afterwards. And then her mom... well, she didn't have a stable home life and there definitely wasn't any support from that corner. For the longest time Erica and Ella lived in this tiny little bedsit with mould on the walls. It was freezing in the winter and boiling in the summer. Erica dropped out of school at the time and worked all the hours she could get while I stayed with Ella. I... I think I loved her from the moment Erica first let me hold her.”

“Did Erica love her?”

“Of course!” Stiles said vehemently, and he truly believed it. But loving Ella wasn't as easy for Erica as it was for Stiles. Loving Erica was a reminder every day that her mom kicked her out, that Derek didn't care enough to answer the phone, that she had missed her chance at a normal high school life, that she wasn't good enough no matter how hard she tried. “It's hard becoming a parent, especially when you are alone. It's even harder when you're sixteen and dirt poor.”

“My mother wouldn't have let Erica suffer like that.”

“Mayor Hale tried to give Erica money. Offered to tell you the truth as well, but by this point Erica had her pride. She's as human as the rest of us. Fallible, you know. Anyway, Talia dropped by a few things occasionally... groceries, a crib... Erica accepted what she needed but it made her feel worse. She wasn't healthy, and she wanted to leave. At first she was going to take Ella with her but when she realised I was planning to run away and come with... she sat me down and told me not to be an idiot. I had a choice and I should choose my own childhood. I told her it was too late, I already loved Ella too much. So we agreed that Erica would stick around until I graduated high school and then she would leave for a break. I think we both knew she was never coming back, not permanently, but it was never said out loud. Not until yesterday.”

Stiles hadn't realised that Derek was moving until he stilled at his words. “She left?”

“She has a life, a husband. Ella's my daughter and Erica trust me to do what's right for her, what she couldn't do herself.”

“Then let's talk about what's right for her.”

“I agree that she should know you,” Stiles said, not looking at the Alpha. It was the hardest thing he had to ever say. Even though Ella knew Stiles wasn't her biological parent there was still this new fear that had been hovering in the back of Stiles' throat ever since he'd seen Derek at the supermarket, he fear that Ella would love Derek more than Stiles and he would become obsolete in the eyes of the person he loved most in the whole world.

“Good. Have you thought about my proposal?”

“Your pro-,” Stiles stomach dropped. “You were being serious? Dude, did you see your wife's face when you said that? I'm surprised she didn't murder you in your sleep. In fact, if you start to feel ill after you eat her cooking I would go to the doctors and ask them to check for poisoning.”

Derek looked unimpressed with his hyperbole. “She doesn't feel threatened by you. We've discussed it since and she agrees its the best way to move forward. Neither of us want this to be a negative experience for Ella.”

“Oh, wow. Am I going to be poisoned slowly until I die of seemingly natural causes. That's such a lame way to go. I was hoping for something cool like blowing myself up or getting shot heroically saving the townspeople from bank robbers. Something to look good as an epitaph. Not 'here lies Mieczyslaw Stilinski, died vomiting blood because he let his guard down'. Sad, man, just so sad.”

“Are you like this all the time?” Derek asked.

“Why, reconsidering your offer?” Stiles was only half joking. What Derek was suggesting was serious. It was painfully serious and Stiles couldn't breath when he thought about making the decision that would change not only Ella's life but his own as well. Cracking jokes about being poisoned by Derek's jealous wife was the least he could do to stay sane, after all Derek had clearly lost all his marbles or else he wouldn't have suggested it in the first place.

“No,” Derek said mildly. “Just wondering how much of this has rubbed off on my daughter.” His lips tugged up almost reluctantly at the end of the sentence and this time Derek was the one to look away.

“You really like the idea don't you?”

“Well, it makes the most sense-” 

“No, I mean of being a dad.”

“That surprises you? I've been married for six years Stiles, I'm a successful business man and thirty is getting closer every day. I want children, Stiles, we just... well, it hasn't happened for me and Jennifer.”

Stiles didn't pry but it sounded ominous. He wasn't sure he could handle another layer of tension on top of everything else that was going on. “This can't be what she wants.”

“What Jennifer wants? She wants Ella to feel like our home is hers, and she understands that you are critical to that.”

“Derek, people don't just do this anymore.”

“Isn't your barista dating the chef and another barista? So, people do do this kind of thing. Just because we're coming together because of Ella and not a mutual appreciation of each other.”

“Uh huh. This is doomed, Derek. It's insane. What do we even have in common other than Ella? It's never going to w-” Derek cut Stiles ranting off with his mouth. His mouth on top of Stiles' mouth, soft and hard and fucking kissing him. Warmth pooled low in Stiles belly and his thighs drifted apart allowing Derek to get closer. Derek's chest was pressed up against Stiles and he swore he could feel the hungry thumping of Derek's heart as arousal surged through them both. 

“I – oh, sorry! I didn't mean to interrupt!” Kira flailed and disappeared from the door way, her face pink at the intimacy she had walked in on. Derek tore his mouth away from Stiles but only to glare viciously at the empty door way. Stiles gulped in large amounts of air hoping he would wake up from this dream but knowing that if he did he would have been disappointed. Kissing Derek Hale was everything that love songs and romance novels had promised. Fuck. It made everything a hundred times more complicated and this time the panic that had been living inside of him for the last few weeks exploded with violent urgency. Breathing wasn't working. His mind wasn't working. His vision was starting to grey out and Derek's concerned voice seemed so far away. The blackness seemed almost welcoming.


	16. Friends in High Places

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, I was not expecting that response! Thank you everyone I feel so welcome and inspired! Here is some more, hope you enjoy!

“Where am I?” Stiles asked, his eyes not even open yet. It wasn't the first time he had blacked out but it hadn't happened since he was a child, back before his mom had been diagnosed things hadn't always been simple at home. She changed, his dad didn't see it straight away because he was at work a lot. Sometimes she forgot to feed Stiles. Sometimes he forgot not to be scared to come out of his room when it was just him and her in their big old rickety house. Stiles didn't like to remember his mom like that. He liked to remember her laughing and pushing him on the swings, calling out 'Mischief where are you' during a game of hide and seek.

“Safe,” said a reassuring voice. Stiles wanted to be reassured, but as the blackness receded and consciousness overtook his dream like state the unease and panic resurfaced. He struggled to sit up and Derek's hands came down to help him, although Stiles wasn't sure how helpful he found it.

“You kissed me,” he blurted out.

“I...,” Derek looked vaguely apologetic and Stiles wondered if he should be insulted about that. “I wanted to kiss you since the moment I saw you.”

“In the supermarket.”

“You're gorgeous. Your skin... your mouth... your eyes... Omegan perfection.”

Stiles flinched. Omega. It was just a biological reaction. Alphas in the media went crazy for Omegas, especially during heat. It wasn't as extreme as that in reality, a heat was meant to ensure a successful impregnation more so than attract a mate, after all an Omega during heat is 93 per cent likely to conceive but when they are not in heat the chances fall to about 11 per cent, not impossible just highly improbable. An Alpha who has sex with an Omega during a heat is still culpable of rape if the Omega says no. 

“I need some space,” Stiles whispered, and something harsh and hurting flickered through Derek's eyes before the Alpha's expression closed off. He provided an arm to help Stiles stand but Stiles was determined to do it himself and when he was on his own two feet he felt more like himself.

“Stiles, I need you to promise me you'll think about what I said.”

“Oh, trust me it'll be on my mind,” Stiles bit out caustically. 

“I... good. I'll be in touch,” Derek assured him, taking a step back from Stiles. Stiles mind played on the word touch and he almost shivered remembering how Derek's body felt pressed up against his. 

“Sure. Yeah. Do that. Bye.”

Stiles lurched towards the door and didn't look back. Caitlyn called his name as he rushed past the front counter but nothing could have made him stop. He climbed inside his car and slammed his foot on the accelerator, determined to get home; to feel safe. His heart was racing as if he was being pursued, and in a way he was but with one glance in the rear view mirror he comforted himself that it wasn't a literal pursuit. It didn't slow his heart beat down in the slightest. He licked his lips to alleviate the dryness but tasted Derek and it brought the whole experience back. Stiles had been kissed before, he had, there had been Heather with her blonde curls and metal braced when he'd been thirteen, Erica had kissed him on a dare once all pink pouty lips pressed quick and dry to his... Both had been beautiful women but neither kiss had left an impression upon his body the way that Derek's hand still burned the nerves on his arm, the way his chest was colder now than it had ever been before with the lack of Derek's heat, the way his lips felt bruised and swollen but like they wanted more, so much more.

He stopped without grace or precision outside his little house and headed straight for the shower. His hand closed around his erection, hard and pulsing with need, and stroked with a punishing firm grasp. He thought that Derek would be gentler than this, he would insist that Stiles treat himself nice the way he deserved. Tears pricked at the back of Stiles eyelids and he eased up, playing with the slit and coating himself liberally with pre-cum. He wasn't trying to rush but the experience was over all too soon and Stiles was left staring at the shower wall decorated in creamy spunk, dripping and cooling quick. He turned away from it, his body flooding with humiliation at how ridiculously turned on he had been from just a kiss. A kiss from a married man who just wanted his daughter. The most likely explanation was that Derek was playing him in order to get closer to Ella. Stiles didn't know Derek, couldn't gauge his intentions or trust that he was what he seemed. The tears that had threatened him earlier arrived, stinging his mouth where he had cut the delicate flesh biting down as he'd tried not to call out during his orgasm. He didn't have to be quiet since Ella was at school but it was still his instinct to quiet himself. Some habits died hard. 

Stiles switched the water on and scrubbed himself with a neutral scent blocker that was hard on his skin. People knew but Stiles had been doing this since he was a teenager and the idea of going cold turkey and letting people smell him... no, he wasn't ready. He already felt exposed enough without losing this last shield as well. Afterwards he slapped on a layer of minty shower gel and finished off by spraying his mess down the drain. He towelled off and redressed in a comforting outfit of an old Lacrosse hoody and some thick tracksuit pants.

It was time to stop feeling like prey and start acting like a father. He poured himself some crappy coffee and huddled up in his oversized worn arm chair and dialled Lydia's office number.

“Martin and Whittmore, Lydia Martin's office,” Lydia's receptionist answered with professionalism. 

“Hey, it's Stiles. Could I be put through to Lydia please?” He said, clearing his voice half way through.

“Mr Stilinski, now isn't-”

“It's important.”

A sigh. “I'll see if she's free.” A pause and a click while the line was transferred.

“Stiles, this better be good!” Lydia said, her tone perfectly polite but Stiles could hear that she was breathing hard.

“Oh my god were you making out with Allison?”

Allison giggled in the background. 

“Now, Stiles, is that the right way to go about asking for a favour.”

“I don't know, I guess it depends on at which point I interrupted you. Like should I call back in ten minutes? Will you be in a better mood then? Allison, I'm sorry for interrupting your magic!” 

Allison laughed harder and Stiles could picture her face, red cheeks and watery eyes with a hand hiding her wide grin.

“Actually I'm in a great mood, poor Ally has to go back to work all frustrated and unsatisfied,” Lydia purred down the line although Stiles was sure the effort wasn't for his sake but directed at her wife. Allison promptly quit laughing.

“Anyway, before this becomes awkward-” he sniggered, “I did call for a reason.”

“Let me guess, you've been arrested.”

“What? No! Why is that the first thing that came to your mind. Wait, what do you think I got arrested for?”

“Oh, I don't know... public indecency, speeding, having no fashion sense, arguing with a cop... You called me at work, Stiles, you never call me at work unless its about work.”

“Okay, good point. I do need you, as a friend and as a lawyer.”

“You know I'm not a criminal defence attorney, right?”

“You know I'm at home in my sweats, right? It's about Ella.”

“I'm listening,” she said, serious now.

“Her birth father is back in the picture and he wants to be in her life. Erica has gone and I don't think she is coming back.”

“Name.”

“Uh... mine?”

“No, Mieczyslaw, the baby daddy name.”

“Oh. Right. It's... Derek Hale,” he said, and waited for the explosion.

In typical Lydia fashion it wasn't a loud reaction. He heard her take a breath, and then she turned on the sweet voice, the one that gave him nightmares. “Do you mean to say, dear Mieczyslaw, that the father of your foster daughter is none other than the son of the town mayor, the town mayor who just happens to be one of out biggest clients and who also provides lucrative support for the shelter my wife works at? Is that, dearest Mieczyslaw, what you are telling me after six whole years of Ella's life?”

“Yes. That would be what I was saying. Do you need a massage, I'm good at massages? I bet Allison is even better, Ally please touch your wife and calm her down!”

“I think I'm going to stay safely over here, thanks all the same Stiles.”

“There is no safe, Allison, not any more,” he bemoaned.

Lydia took another breath, deep and grounding although Stiles wouldn't say calming. “I will have to call you back,” she said, and then the receiver disconnected with a crash.

Oh shit. He was definitely in trouble with her. Of course, he knew she would get over it. She was one of his best friends, her and Allison had been good to him these past years and he had no doubt that even if she was more than a smidge miffed right now then she would still pull through and use all her evil lawyer skills to help him in whatever way she could. Stiles would have to take comfort in that.

**Author's Note:**

> I apologize to everyone about the 1/1 mistake - AO3 didn't load the fanfiction up properly when I posted the first chapter and I had to redo it and I was in a rush. It's been one of those day! This is a WIP (I have it all planned out but am writing as I go along) and I have no Beta. Thank you for those who have commented already sorry for the confusion!


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